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Kerala inspector Sajan Prakash makes a dive to represent India at Tokyo Olympics!
India’s first ever entry to Olympics with ‘A’ qualification in swimming, by Sajan Prakash, didn’t come easy as he had to battle an injury that threatened to almost end his Olympic dream. Making a phenomenal comeback, Prakash is now prepping to win laurels for the country.
Sajan Prakash scripted history on June 26, 2021, as he became the first Indian swimmer to breach the ‘A’ qualification mark, and book a berth to Tokyo Olympics! “I’ve worked very hard for this moment! I had set a target and I achieved it. There are many people who provided me with a support system, to be able to achieve this, and I’m glad I didn’t let them down,” says the 27-year-old as he catches a breather in Italy, where he clocked 1:56:38 seconds in the men’s 200m butterfly event at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome.
Prakash, who was born in Idukki, Kerala, is also an inspector in Kerala Police, and reveals how he had given up on his Olympic dream after suffering a neck injury. “I was frustrated because I was physically in pain, and when that happens, we athletes tend to overthink and go through many emotions. I believe our body is a temple. But the people around me were very supportive and it was only because of them that I could get past my pain,” says Prakash, who was in Thailand when the pandemic struck, and he moved base to Dubai in August 2020 to train with his coach Pradeep Kumar. “I needed to become stronger mentally, and had to start from the scratch because I hadn’t been swimming since December 2019. Dubai is certainly an expensive city to live in. Pradeep sir hosted me; he and his wife gave me shelter when I needed it the most!”
The 2016 Rio Olympian swimmer recalls, “I started swimming when I was five. My mom is an athlete, so I just had to go and try out different sports. When I moved to Bengaluru in 2011, what I had wasn’t enough to make it through as a professional athlete. My mother and my club helped me in the journey to where I’ve reached today.”
With hopes to shine bright at the Tokyo Olympics, and bring swimming at par with other sports in the country, he opines: “Swimming is one of the most scientific sports, and we need sports science to be applied in India as well. I believe the changes will start happening soon because we will show them the results in the form of medals and achievements. In the near future, there will be growth in this sport in our country as well, with proper investments.”
But since Tokyo will be his second appearance at the Olympic Games, does the performance pressure feel familiar? He replies: “Whether it’s the Olympics or any other race, I am nervous! I’m not going to pretend to be a fearless man. But sportspersons prepare for the worst and adapt to any situation. Each day we do all that we can, to eventually go to the block, dive in and achieve our target.”
Author tweets @bhagat_mallika
