Ahmedabad: Maana Patel said she was happy to be the first Indian female swimmers to qualify for the Olympics, after facing the closure of ponds and loud ponds when she prepared for the Tokyo match during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Patel, 21, will compete in Tokyo in the back style of 100m women after the World Government Agency Fina approved their participation under the universality quota after several strong shows in Europe increased in the last three months.
“I am very, very happy,” he told Reuters in West India Ahmedabad during the training session.
“I am honored and humble to represent my country at the Olympics this year.
But I believe this is just the beginning for me and there is a long way to go …
many more medals to win for India.” Also read Maana Patel Swimmer received an Olympic confirmation through the ‘Quota’Indian Universality of Women’s Maana Patel participation swimmers at the Tokyo Olympics has been confirmed through the’ Universality Quota ‘, the Indian Swimming Federation (SFI) said.
Universality quota allows one woman and men of each participant from a country to take part in the Olympics, as long as there are no other swimmers from the same gender eligible for competition through the normal process.
Pandemic swept the second most populous country in the world last year, leaving athletes in India trapped in a long shutdown and then infection jumped again in the second wave devastating in 2021.
The pool was closed during the locking swim with the preparation they hit the Tokyo game, which was postponed by one year , “The Corona period is very difficult for all of us, especially for swimmers because the pool is closed for a very long time and it is very difficult for us to practice,” he said.
“I made myself still suitable with exercising at home, eating good food – healthy, healthy food, and saving a positive mindset by reading books.” He was the third Indian swimmer who was eligible for the Tokyo match after the Srihari Nataraj and Prakash men’s athletes also made injuries.
Patel won a gold medal at a meeting in Uzbekistan in April and then competed in Serbia and Italy.
In Belgrade Meet, he set a new national record and the best of one minute 03.77 seconds in the back style of 100m.
“When I was 13 years old, I got the best time India in the back style of 150 and 250 meters and since then no one looked back,” he added.