Nagpur teenager Sanjana Joshi and Gujarat’s Pragnya Mohan to represent India in triathlon at Commonwealth Games

Triathletes Sanjana Joshi and Pragnya Mohan will represent India at the forthcoming Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The 22nd edition of the Commonwealth Games will be held from July 28 to August 8.

17-year-old Sanjana Joshi has been selected to represent India by the Indian Triathlon Federation on the basis of her recent impressive performances.

Sanjana became the first female athlete from Nagpur to be selected for the Commonwealth Games. She was selected for the sprint distance triathlon.

A triathlon is a multi-sport event in which athletes have to swim, then cycle and then run back-to-back as fast as possible. The race distance in the sprint distance triathlon will be 750 meters of swimming, 20 kms of cycling and 5 kms of running.

Sanjana trains at Miles N Milers Endurance Sports Academy under Dr. Amit Samarth and is a student at Somalwar Nikalas School, Nagpur. She underwent a selection and evaluation camp organized by the Indian Triathlon Federation in Chennai last month.

Sanjana Joshi finishes second in the national selection trials

Sanjana did well and finished second in the Super Sprint distance triathlon selection trials in Chennai. All the participants were asked to complete multiple tasks. The selection criteria was tough and only the best two triathletes were picked for the Indian team.

Sanjana’s coach Dr. Amit Samarth was pleased with the performance and rated as one of the most talented triathletes in the country. He told Sportskeeda on Wednesday:

“During the trials, the participants went through a fitness test, ECG test, x-ray and fitness assessment which included push-ups and pull-ups. The participants also underwent VO2 max tests on treadmills, anthropometry, and a critical swim speed test."

He added:

“It is a matter of great pride for Nagpur and Miles N Milers Endurance Sports Academy to have an athlete representing the country at the Commonwealth Games in 2022. Sanjana is a very dedicated and disciplined athlete. She is steadily improving and can regularly compete at the highest level."

Sanjana Joshi is equally good in swimming, cycling and running. (Pic credit: Miles N Milers Sports Academy)

Sanjana Sunil Joshi from Nagpur and 27-year-old Pragnya Mohan from Ahmedabad were picked in the squad. Speaking on her selection, Sanjana Joshi said:

“Pragnya Mohan is much more senior than me. We both made the cut for the Indian team selection. I am very happy with my efforts and I am looking forward to representing India at the prestigious Commonwealth Games. The next tournament in South Korea will be good exposure for me before the mega event in Birmingham."

Sanjana was also selected to represent India at the Asian Sprint Triathlon Championship, which is set to be held in Sejong, South Korea from June 4.

Sanjana’s elder sister Snehal is equally talented and has also made her country proud. The Joshi sisters, Sanjana and Snehal, excelled at the Asian Triathlon Cup and South Asian Championships in Pokhara, Nepal, in April.

Sanjana finished second in the South Asian Championship and eighth in the Asian Triathlon Cup. 19-year-old Snehal finished 11th in the Asian Triathlon Cup. The competition was organized by the International Triathlon Union in Pokhara, Nepal.