Tokyo Olympics: Maana Patel becomes 1st Indian female swimmer to qualify, will compete in backstroke event
Maana Patel is an Indian swimmer who would be making her Olympics debut this term. She has become the first Indian female swimmer to qualify for the Tokyo Games through the 'Universality quota'. She won a couple of golds during the 2016 South Asian Games.
FollowIn what is another proud moment and achievement for India ahead of the Tokyo Olympics, female swimmer Maana Patel has sealed her berth for the mega event this month. She has qualified through the 'Universality quota' and would be taking part in the 100m backstroke event at the Games.
Overall, she is the third Indian swimmer to qualify for Tokyo. The quota allows a male and a female from a nation to participate in the Olympics, provided no other swimmer of the gender has qualified for the event or received an invitation from Fédération Internationale de Natation, based on their Olympic Selection time.
"It's an amazing feeling. I have heard about the Olympics from fellow swimmers and watched it on the television and seen a lot of pictures. But, to be there this time, competing with the best in the world, just gives me goosebumps," she told Olympics.com.
"It was a tough year to come back after the injury. Though the pandemic and the lockdown was a blessing in disguise as it helped me recuperate well. But then, later, the frustration crept in. I am not used to staying away from the water for this long," she admitted.
As for her recent performances, during the opening event in April at the Uzbekistan Open Swimming Championships, she won the gold in the 100m backstroke with a timing of 1:04.47 seconds. She had been participating in various events in Serbia, while recently in Belgrade, she battered her national benchmark in the same.
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"I was happy with my timing in Uzbekistan. Nothing great. But, to get back into competitive racing and managing 1:04 was good. I knew I was on the right track. I clocked 1:03 at Belgrade. The target is to go 1:02 or lower in Tokyo," she continued.
"I am not looking for much here, just the experience of swimming at the Olympics. The 2023 season is an important year for us. I see the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games as a real opportunity for a podium finish," she concluded.
Following Maana's qualification, Sports Minister Kieren Rijiju congratulated her on the same. "Backstroke swimmer @maana.patel has become the 1st female and 3rd Indian swimmer to qualify for #Tokyo2020. I congratulate Maana, who qualified through Universality Quota. #Cheer4India" he wrote on Instagram.
While it would be Maana's maiden stint in the Olympics, she failed to make the cut in 2016 for Rio. However, she had a glorious time during the 2016 South Asian Games, winning five medals, including twin golds.
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