Maana Patel Becomes India's First Woman Swimmer To Qualify For Tokyo Olympics

Swimmer Maana Patel is now the first woman and the third swimmer from India to qualify for the Tokyo Olympics 2021. Patel, who is a backstroke swimmer from Ahmedabad, has qualified for the Olympics and secured direct entry this year after Srihari Nataraj, and Sajan Prakash. The news was confirmed by Sports Minister of India, Kiren Rijiju on Twitter.

In his tweet, Rijiju wrote, "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. Well done!!"

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. Well done!! pic.twitter.com/LBHup0F7RK

— Kiren Rijiju (@KirenRijiju) July 2, 2021

Speaking about her selection, Patel said, "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 picture." Speaking about her Olympics ambition, Patel said, "I am not looking for much here, just the experience of swimming at the Olympics," adding that she saw the 2023 season as an important one. "I see the Commonwealth Games and the Asian Games as a real opportunity for a podium finish."

Who is Maana Patel?

Maana Patel began swimming when she was seven years old. When she was 13, Patel completed the 200m backstroke in 2: 23.41s at the 40th Junior National Aquatics Championship in Hyderabad and broke a national record. The previous record of 2: 26.41s was held by swimmer Shikha Tandon at the Asian Age Group Championship in Tokyo in August 2009.

Patel has won several medals including a gold medal in the 50m backstroke and 200m backstroke each at the National Games. At the 60th National School Games in 2015, she won a gold in the 100m backstrokes and broke the national record in backstroke.

At the same event, she also won a Silver Medal along with Rashi Patel, Gitanjali Pandey, and Dilpreet Kaur in the 4X100 metre freestyle relay. Patel was selected for the Olympic Gold Quest in 2015. At the 12th South Asian Games, she won two Gold Medals in 4×100 metre freestyle relay, and 4×100 metre medley relay; three silver medals 50 metres, 100-metre backstroke, and 200-metre backstroke, and a bronze medal in the 50-metre freestyle event.

She also won three gold medals at the 72nd Senior National Aquatic Championships 2018. In 2019, Asian Age-group Championships, which was held in Bangalore, Maana Patel won six medals including one Gold, four Silver, and one Bronze medal.

Feature Image Credit: Kiren Rijiju/Twitter

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