Indian swimming team for Commonwealth Games 2022: Sajan, Nataraj headline four-member squad

Sajan Prakash, Srihari Nataraj, Kushagra Rawat and Advait Page have made the Indian swimming squad for the Commonwealth Games.

Sajan Prakash in action at the 74th Senior National Aquatic Championships in Bengaluru on October 28, 2021. | Photo Credit: K. Murali Kumar

Here are the profiles of all the athletes who will represent India in swimming at the Commonwealth Games 2022 in Birmingham.

Sajan Prakash: This veteran swimmer will be vying for a maiden podium finish in the 50m, 100m and 200m butterfly events at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. The 28-year-old became the first Indian to breach the FINA ‘A’ Olympic qualification time when he clocked 1:56.38, a national record in the 200m butterfly at the 2021 Sette Colli Trophy. Recently, Prakash competed in the 19th FINA World Championships, his first competition after shoulder injury. In April, he won gold in the 200m butterfly at the Danish Open. He is currently undergoing high-altitude training in Sierra Nevada for his third CWG appearance.

Srihari Nataraj: This 21-year-old swimmer will compete in his second Commonwealth Games after Gold Coast 2018. Having given the 19 ^th FINA World Championship a miss, the Indian competed in the Singapore National Swimming Championships 2022, where he won gold in the 50m and 100m backstroke events clocking 25.69 and 55.32, respectively. The swimmer from Bengaluru will take part in the 50m, 100m and 200m backstroke events.

Kushagra Rawat: The 22-year-old recently competed in the 19th FINA World Championships and would like to peak in his debut at the Commonwealth Games. Rawat set a national record in the 400m freestyle and clocked 3:52.75 in the 2020 NSW State Championships, Australia. He also broke three meet records at the senior national aquatic championships last year in the 400m, 800m and 1500m freestyle events. The Delhi lad will aim to make his mark in the 200m, 400m and 1500m freestyle at CWG 2022.

Advait Page: The Madhya Pradesh swimmer came into the limelight when he broke the 800m freestyle national record and Rehan Poncha’s 10-year-old record in men’s 400m individual medley at the Singapore National Swimming Championships 2019. Two years later, he not only bettered his record by 4:27.41 in medley but also set another national record in 1500m freestyle with a time of 15:23.66 in a meet in Mission Viejo, United States. Debuting for India in the Commonwealth Games, Page will participate in the 1500m freestyle event.