Great to win the best athlete award at the National Games, says veteran swimmer: Sajan Prakash

Seven years after his sensational debut at the National Games in Kerala, Sajan Prakash has once again relived the best moments of his career at the Sardar Patel Aquatic complex in Rajkot during the Gujarat National Games 2022.

Sajan won eight medals which included five individual golds, two silvers and one bronze medal in the National Games. 

But winning back-to-back awards as the best athlete of the National Games was not something which Sajan had looked forward to especially when he didn’t have the best of starts to his campaign due to an injury.

Sajan Prakash won eight medals at the 36th National Games in Gujarat including five individual golds, two silvers and one bronze medal.
| Photo Credit: Ritu Raj Konwar

“After the Commonwealth Games, I was thinking of taking rest but the National Games was announced suddenly and there was no way I was going to miss it. National Games is always special to me. As Kerala’s best medal hope, I was looking to participate in as many events and was not looking at the timings.

“I am satisfied with my performance and eight medals is not bad considering that I wasn’t fully fit. I had a pain in the lower abdomen and it affected my performance on the first three days. It is great to win the best athlete award again though I must say I wasn’t excepting it,” he said.

With the young bunch of swimmers pushing him in many events, Sajan managed to hold them off and remind everyone that he is still one of the best swimmers in the country.

Sajan Prakash of Kerala set a new National Games record in the men’s 200m medley and won the 400m freestyle gold at the 36th National Games in Rajkot on Friday, 7 October, 2022.
| Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

“It feels great to be consistent. Moreover, it is good to understand that I am still strong aerobically and that I am strong in other events as well apart from my favourite butterfly events,’‘ said the 29-year-old Sajan. 

Though he still remains as one of the fittest swimmers around, Sajan said it was important for him to take a break to rest his shoulders.

“There will be no competitions for me this year. I will be focussing on my wellness. I have to take care of my shoulders. I want to recover and rejuvenate myself before I start thinking of qualifying for the Asian Games,’‘ he said.