Commonwealth Games 2026: All you need to know about Sajan Prakash

Sajan Prakash, one of India’s top swimmers, specialises in Butterfly and Freestyle. He holds a national record in 200m butterfly with a time of 1:56.38 seconds set in the Sette Colli trophy in Rome in 2021.

The two-time Olympian represented India at the 2016 Rio Olympics and the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 200 m butterfly. He has consistently broken barriers on the international stage and enters the Commonwealth Games as one of the country’s most experienced athletes.

Early days

Sajan was born on September 14, 1993 in Idukki district of Kerala. He took to swimming after his mother V.J. Shantymol, a former athlete, introduced him to the sport in Tamil Nadu.

Sajan's father abandoned the family in 1994, when Sajan was just one year old. Since then, his mother, Shantymol, has raised him single-handedly.

He was introduced to swimming when he started using the facilities at the Neyveli Lignite Corporation staff quarters where his mother worked in 1998. Sajan eventually moved to Bengaluru as a teenager to train under coach Pradeep Kumar.

On his coach's insistence, Sajan shifted from short-course swimming and began focusing on long-course endurance events, specifically the 200m butterfly and medleys.

The structured Bangalore environment proved fruitful as he shot to nationwide fame after winning eight medals (6 gold, 2 silver) at the 2015 National Games in Kerala.

Rising through the ranks

Sajan has won numerous medals at the National Championships, South Asian Games, and other international competitions.

His stellar performances over the years earned him a prestigious FINA global scholarship, under which he trained at elite training centers in Thailand and Dubai.

Sajan represented India at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Olympics, becoming the first Indian swimmer to achieve the Olympic Qualification Time (‘A’ Standard) for the Tokyo Games.

Sajan has represented India at multiple World Championships, too. In recognition of his outstanding contribution to Indian swimming, he was conferred with the Arjuna Award in January 2025.

After the Paris Olympics, Sajan stepped away from the pool citing physical and mental burnout. He returned last year and is being coached by former teammate and Asian Games medallist Sandeep Sejwal at IIS Bellary. Their entire focus is on getting his personal best timing in Glasgow.

He is currently employed with the Kerala Police as a Commanding Officer. A pool named after him was opened in Neyveli.

Commonwealth Games highlight

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games will be Sajan's fourth appearance at the Games, having made his debut at the 2014 Games. In the 2018 Gold Coast, Sajan finished eighth in the 200m butterfly final. He returned to 2022 Birmingham Commonwealth Games, but was on the reserve list in his favourite event, eventually finishing ninth.

The 2026 Glasgow edition is considered to be his final appearance for the 32-year-old swimmer. In preparation for Glasgow, Sajan underwent rigorous high-altitude training in Edinburgh and Sierra Nevada, Spain.