JOIN USSajan set to live out his dream
In sports, nothing can get bigger than the Olympics. Every athlete dreams of at least participating in the Games once. Sajan Prakash is one such athlete who will soon realise his dream at the upcoming Rio Games.
From taking the country by storm at the National Games in 2015, to becoming the first Indian to go under the two-minute mark in the 200M butterfly, the 22-year-old has let his talent speak for itself.
“It was my childhood dream (to qualify for an Olympics). For the past year-and-a-half, I have been trying to qualify for Rio,” said Sajan who along with Shivani Kataria has been selected by the Swimming Federation of India under the universality quota.
“First I qualified for the Worlds (World Championships in 2015), which is a prerequisite for the Olympics. Then I managed to do the ‘B’ qualifying mark in three events (400M, 1500M freestyle and 200M butterfly). But in January, I injured my right shoulder. Though it’s fine now, that took away some training time,” added the Basavanagudi Aquatic Centre trainee who will swim the 200M butterfly at Rio.
You can still feel the sense of disbelief that lingers in Sajan but he had a more anxious time when he was first informed of his selection on his flight back after the Hong Kong Circuit Championships.
“I was confused, just couldn’t believe it. I was at the airport when a friend texted me saying they had announced my name at the Junior Nationals. I didn't know if it was true. Those four hours on the flight was just confusion. But then after I landed, I spoke to my coach (Pradeep Kumar) and he confirmed,” he explained.
Having got selected from a bunch that included the likes of Sandeep Sejwal, Veerdhaval Khade and Saurabh Sangvekar, Sajan assured he would give his best when he takes the plunge for his heats on August 8. “I don’t know whether to be happy or sad. I feel bad for the others. They tried like real champions; they didn’t give up at any point. I’ll swim for them in Rio,” he said.
Sajan — under a FINA scholarship — has been training in Phuket, Thailand since the past one year. The swimmer believes that it has helped him in concentrating on his game better.
“I was there for over a year. And the growth is very evident. But for that, I had put myself into my training programme fully. I didn’t have any other extra activities. I don’t go out, I don’t eat junk food, and I don’t eat dessert. I just stick to my programme,” he continued explaining his time under the watchful eyes of Miguel Lopez and David Escolar.
While not much should be expected out of a die-hard Michael Phelps fan at the Games, Sajan could just end up swimming alongside his idol in the 200M butterfly at Rio, a dream that he’s hoping would come true.
“He is like a beast and very gifted. I am swimming the same event so maybe I’ll meet him in the heats. I’m excited and if I get a picture with him, I’ll share with you all,” he quipped.