Who is Sajan Prakash?

Sajan Prakash became the first Indian swimmer to win a direct qualification to the Olympics after his exploits in the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome earlier in the year. In Rome, Sajan Prakash clocked 1:56.38 seconds to secure a berth at the Tokyo Olympics.

This timing of his was not only under the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) of 1:56:48 seconds but also was a new national record in the men’s 200m butterfly event.

When he begins his campaign in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, he will become the first Indian swimmer to participate in two Summer Games. His previous appearance was in the 2016 Rio Olympics. However, in Rio, he was granted under the universality quota and didn’t come through direct qualification.

Sajan Prakash, born on September 14, 1993, in Idukki, Kerala, was inspired to take the sports by his mother V Shantymol, who was a former track-and-field athlete.

Sajan was five when he dived in the pool at his mother’s working place. And it was at that point when he realised his love for swimming.

At first, he enrolled at the Neyveli City Swimming Club in Tamil Nadu. However, he moved to Bengaluru and got his training under renowned swimming coach Pradeep Kumar.

The Indian, who initially dealt in short courses, shifted his focus to long course events like the 200m butterfly and the medley on Pradeep Kumar’s insistence.

Previously, he represented India at the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games in 2014. However, he shot to fame during the 2015 National Games. In that event, he won a record-breaking eight medals – six golds and two silvers.

Sajan earned a FINA scholarship in 2015 to train in Thailand. The subsequent year, he won three gold medals at the South Asian Games in Guwahati. He won top prizes in men’s 200m butterfly, 1500 freestyle and 4x200m relay.

During his Rio 2016 stint, he finished 28th in the 200m butterfly heats, failing to make it through to the finals.

After continuing with his training in Thailand, he moved to Dubai. An arduous training period under Pradeep Kumar helped him break three national records – 100m backstroke, 200m butterfly and 200m freestyle – in as many days at the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.

He was also the only Indian swimmer to partake in the Rio edition of the Summer Games after ‘B’ standard qualification. Currently employed with Kerala Police, he had also become the first Indian in over 30 years to reach the final of men’s 200m butterfly event at the 2018 Jakarta Asian Games.