Meet Maana Patel, India’s first female swimmer to qualify for Tokyo Olympics 2020

Maana Patel has become the first female and third Indian swimmer to make the cut for the Tokyo Olympics. She grabbed the berth under the universality quota.

Sports minister Kiren Rijiju congratulated Maana Patel and wished her luck for her maiden Olympics. He wrote on Twitter:

“Backstroke swimmer Maana Patel has become the 1st female and 3rd Indian swimmer to qualify for Tokyo 2020. I congratulate Maana, who qualified through Universality Quota. Well done!!."

Maana Patel, 21, will join Srihari Nataraj and Sajan Prakash for the Olympic-bound Indian swimming team. Srihari and Sajan qualified directly. Patel was elated with her qualification for Tokyo and said:

“It is an amazing feeling. I have heard about the Olympics from fellow swimmers and watched it on tele and seen a lot of pictures,” she told Olympics.com.

She recently set a new national record of 1:03:77 in 100m backstroke in Belgrade.

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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

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Who is Maana Patel?

Maana came to prominence at the age of 13, when she clocked 2:23.41s in the 200m backstroke at the Junior National Aquatic Championship in Hyderabad. In the process she broke the national record of 2:26.41s held by Shikha Tandon. She was selected for the Olympic Gold Quest program in 2015.

READ: Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj have given a different perspective for Indian swimming, says Olympian Sandeep Sejwal

Also Checkout: Tokyo Olympic 2021 Swimming Schedule

At the 12th South Asian Games in 2016, Patel won silver medals in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke and a bronze in the 50m freestyle. She also finished first in the 4x100m freestyle relay and 4x100m medley relay.

Sajan and Srihari show the way

Sajan Prakash created history after he became the first-ever Indian swimmer to book an Olympic berth through the "A" cut qualification. He clocked 1:56.38 in men’s 200m butterfly event.

READ: Tokyo Olympics: Top upcoming swimmers to watch out for

Srihari Nataraj followed suit. After missing the qualification mark of the 53.85s by .05s, he made the ‘A’ cut at the men's 100m backstroke time trial at the Sette Colli Trophy in Rome. He clocked 53.77s to book his Tokyo ticket.

Read: Tokyo Olympics: Sajan Prakash's qualification in Swimming - Can India make the most of it?

What is universality quota?

Universality quota spots are awarded by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to promote sports development, provide equal opportunity to smaller countries and progress the competitive ambitions of emerging nations. These are only awarded at the end of the qualification procedure and athletes that receive them must have reached the minimum standard set for the Games.