Maana Patel said she was ‘thrilled’ to have made history as the first Indian female swimmer to compete in an Olympic Games after her participation was approved through the universality quota after overcoming pandemic-related obstacles. Patel, 21, will compete in the women’s 100m backstrokes at the Tokyo Olympics after being granted a spot by Fina, the world governing body of swimming, following some strong performances in European meets over the last three months.
‘I am very, very thrilled,’ Patel told in the western Indian city of Ahmedabad during a practice session. ‘I am honored and humbled 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.’ she added.
The universality quota allows a country to send one female and one male swimmer to the Olympics if no other swimmer of the same gender qualifies for the competition through the normal process. Last year, the pandemic swept the world’s second-most populous country, causing athletes in India to be in shut down for months before the infections resurfaced in a devastating second wave in 2021.
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