Srihari Nataraj and Sajan Prakash’s Olympics qualification: A watershed moment in Indian swimming

The swimmers’ ‘A’ cut qualification for the Tokyo Games is unprecedented in Indian swimming

A year-and-a-half ago, Sajan Prakash, 27, thought he would not make it to the Tokyo Olympics 2020. The swimmer suffered a slipped disc, which also hurt his neck. As he recovered, the pandemic forced pools to close in Thailand, where he was training at the Thanyapura Aquatic Centre in Phuket on a scholarship. Confined to his hostel, he contemplated returning to India. But the situation here was worse. Then, last August, a reprieve came in the form of a 50-day camp in Dubai organised for top Indian swimmers with national coach Pradeep Kumar. After the camp, Sajan was in a quandary again. He wanted to stay back in Dubai, but that was going to be expensive. That is when coach Pradeep and his wife, Gowri, came to Sajan’s rescue. The couple invited him to stay with them in Dubai and ensured he got better in the pool. On June 26, Sajan clocked 1:56:38 seconds in the men’s 200-metre butterfly event at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. In doing so, he became the first Indian swimmer to make the Olympic Qualifying Time (also known as FINA ‘A’ cut), which ensures automatic qualification for the Olympics. Unable to make the ‘A’ cut hitherto, Indian swimmers had to count on the Olympic Selection Time (also known as ‘B’ time) or the universality quota — less certain ways — to get to the Olympics.