CWG 2026: Who Is Sajan Prakash? NR Holder Qualified For 200 m Butterfly In Glasgow

CWG 2026: National record holder Sajan Prakash qualified for the second final of the Commonwealth Games after making his CWG debut more than a decade back. The Indian swimmer, who specialises in the Butterfly stroke, had earlier set a national record in his discipline with a time of 1:56.38 seconds, which was set in the Sette Colli trophy in Rome in 2021.

A two-time Olympian, he represented India in the 200 m butterfly at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Having consistently pushed boundaries on the international stage, he heads into the Commonwealth Games as one of India's most seasoned athletes.

Coming to his CWG 2026, Prakash qualified for the 200m Butterfly Finals at the Commonwealth Games with a 1:58.59 time in 6th place (out of 19 swimmers).

Who Is Sajan Prakash?

Born on September 14, 1993, in Idukki, Kerala, Sajan Prakash is one of India's most celebrated swimmers and is best known as the first Indian swimmer to secure direct qualification for the Olympic Games.

He is also the national record holder, which he set at the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy in Rome, where Sajan produced a remarkable performance in the men's 200m butterfly. He clocked 1:56.38, setting a new national record and finishing comfortably under the Olympic Qualification Time (OQT) of 1:56.48. The feat earned him a direct berth for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, making him the first Indian swimmer to qualify for the Games by meeting the Olympic standard.

Sajan had previously represented India at the Rio 2016 Olympics, where he competed through the universality quota. His appearance at Tokyo, however, marked another milestone, as he became the first Indian swimmer to compete at two Olympic Games. More importantly, his qualification in Rome was the culmination of years of relentless training, perseverance, and determination.

Sajan's journey in swimming began at the age of five. His mother, V. Shantymol, a former track-and-field athlete, introduced him to sports at an early age. She worked at an organization that had a swimming pool, where young Sajan first stepped into the water. What began as a childhood activity soon evolved into a lifelong passion, paving the way for an extraordinary career.