"Australian coaches are ruthless; not at all helpful" – Swimmer Bhavya Sachdeva narrates horror experience training in Australia [Exclusive]

Indian swimmer Bhavya Sachdeva has made serious allegations against the Australian swimming system, claiming that the country’s coaches were "ruthless" and unwelcoming to international athletes.

The 19-year-old, who recently dominated the National Games 2025 in Uttarakhand with a five-medal haul, spoke exclusively to Sportskeeda about her disastrous six-month stint in Australia, where she had gone for high-performance training but was left without proper coaching support.

Bhavya, who had been eyeing international success and an eventual 2028 Los Angeles Olympic berth, was sent to Australia in December 2023 by her father, believing that training in a country with a formidable swimming legacy would elevate her performance. However, what was supposed to be a dream training experience turned into what she describes as a "bad phase."

“Well, I went through a bad phase from December 2023 to June 2024 where I went to Australia for high-performance training, but in fact, the Australian coaches were not at all helpful, and I had to struggle for a coach for seven months where I just swam in a public pool for that long without a coach,” Bhavya revealed.

Her comments have sparked controversy, particularly given Australia’s reputation as a global swimming powerhouse. The country has produced some of the greatest swimmers in Olympic history, winning 239 medals, including 78 gold. At the Paris 2024 Olympics, Australia bagged 18 medals in swimming alone. Yet, Bhavya’s experience suggests a stark contrast between the nation's elite athletes and how they treat outsiders.

Bhavya’s frustration grew as she realized that securing a training spot in the country was far more difficult than she had anticipated. She had joined Griffith University, known for its top-tier swimming program, expecting to train under one of the best coaches. But things didn’t go as planned.

“It was in the month of December 2023 when my father came to the conclusion of sending me to Australia for training. As we all are aware, swimming in Australia is one of the best in the world, but somehow they are not worth having people from other countries. Well, it is the reality, but I probably want to forget it as a bad dream. I had to give my crucial six months to achieve nothing," she said.

“I joined one of the top-rated educational institutions that is Griffith University as the coach there was the best.”

Despite enrolling in a top-rated institution, Bhavya shockingly claimed that the coach at Griffith University refused to accept her into the training squad. Even attempts to train under his junior coach failed. Left stranded, she tried joining a team in Brisbane, but she was asked to stop training within a week.

"But somehow, the sad part was he did not accept me to train with the team, and his so-called junior coach was also not ready to take me to train. I joined one team in Brisbane, but that team also asked me to stop training within one week," she revealed.

With every door closing, Bhavya’s only option was to train under an independent coach named Peter, who, despite his efforts, did not have a professional team to offer her competitive training.

“All this time, I was training with one coach whose name was Peter. He did help me, but he had no team to train with. So out of no one, I used to train in a public lane and all alone. As it was an Olympic year, I thought that only two months were left until the Olympics, and maybe after that, they’d accept me to train with them. But my thought was not correct. And they did not accept me to train with them and also they weren’t ready to help," she said.

Even after the Paris Olympics concluded, Bhavya was still not allowed into a professional setup, leaving her with no choice but to return to India. What frustrated her even more was the financial strain her family endured during this period, with nothing to show for it.

“My parents and I tried every day for training in a good academy, but nothing worked. We all know that studying and staying in Australia is not cheap, and it was almost spending 5 lakhs per month for living and 30 lakh per year for studying. We did not spend that much, but it was after six months that I could understand the Australian coaches are ruthless and they cannot see other countries flourishing in front of them," she expressed.

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“It is time to do something for the country” - Bhavya Sachdeva’s bold decision to leave Australia

Bhavya Sachdeva was eventually given a choice - either stay in Australia, focus on her studies, and leave swimming behind, or return home and pursue her dreams elsewhere. She made her decision.

Realizing that she was losing precious time, Bhavya and her family decided to leave Australia and return to India despite the financial losses they had incurred.

“My parents asked me and gave me a choice to either leave swimming and concentrate on studying in Australia. But honestly, it was the swimmer in me that actually said it is time to do something for the country, and we decided to move away from Australia in spite of spending so much," she said.

"All I can say is whenever you are moving on places always see what is best for you and when you don’t then stick to it otherwise don’t try to linger on as age do not stop for anyone."

Bhavya’s experience paints a damning picture of the challenges faced by Indian athletes seeking international training opportunities. While many swimmers dream of training in Australia, her testimony raises serious questions about how welcoming the country truly is to foreign talent.