Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash set a national record at the 200m butterfly final in Asian Games on Sunday, 19 August, a day after he was made aware that some of his family members were missing in the disastrous floods that hit Kerala.
The 24-year-old Prakash, who also represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics, was the first Indian swimmer in 32 years to qualify for the 200m butterfly finals at the Asian Games and clocked 1 minute 57.75 seconds at the finals.
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In what would have been an emotionally exhausting 24 hours prior to the event, Prakash called his home all day.
“He is very upset, and wasn’t able to focus on the race. If not for this, he would have won a medal,” his mother Shantymol told The Indian Express.
Speaking to The Quint, Prakash said that he was a bit upset with the 200m result because he felt that he could have done better, “I was nervous and could not swim my race properly.”
Five members of the family, including Prakash’s maternal grandfather and uncle, who live in Idukki (one of the worst affected areas by the floods) have been reported missing since Thursday, 16 August. Shantymol had not told him this, fearing it would impact his performance, reported The Indian Express.
The ace swimmer took the pool and broke the national record by clocking 1 minute 57.75 seconds, but finished fifth in the eight-men final in Jakarta’s GBK Aquatic Centre on Sunday.
Shantymol hoped that her son will be able to overcome the distraction and get the results for which he had taken an unforgiving training regime under coach Graham Gill, reported The Times of India.
“I am trying to convince him to focus on his events. He has worked very hard for this, he shouldn’t be worrying about things that are not in our control,” she told The Indian Express.
Prakash concluded that he contacted his mother’s side of the family and got to know that they are safe. “I knew that there was something wrong with the family and they were misplaced and trying to find their way. But more or less they’re all safe now, and it’s all good.”
Prakash will have another shot at a medal on Monday, 20 August, in the 4x200m freestyle relay, and again on Wednesday in the 100 m butterfly.
(With inputs from The Times of India, The Indian Express.)
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