Imtiaz Ahmed/Guwahati

In the first decade of the 21st century, a teenager stood on the block ready to jump into the pool, but was told that she was not eligible to participate in the national events! The rejection was not her fault; it was a purely administrative matter.

That year, Assam had two parallel state swimming associations owing to a power tussle between organisers and political heavyweights. Like the teenager in question, many young athletes suffered.

The young swimmer was Fariha Zaman from Guwahati, who later became the ‘Backstroke Queen of India’ and set seven international records which is still unbroken.

Fariha Zaman as swimming consultant of Sports Authority of Assam

Fariha loved water at the age of one or two, and at the age of three, she made her first splash into the Dighalipukhuri, a historic, man-made, half-mile-long, rectangular pond located in the heart of Guwahati. The pool has produced great swimmers such as Elvis Ali Hazarika and Mithoo Borooah, who became international stars.

There was no looking back for Fariha Zaman. She made her first national debut at just above 6 years in the National School Games.

Fariha Zaman showing off her medals

However, everything was not going hunky dory for the young talent. “I was haunted by some weird people ever since I started performing above the average swimmers. My mother even felt they could kill me. It was all because they were jealous of my rise. At one point in time, I was scared of going to the pool. But my mother kept me closely guarded against those elements. Eventually, we had to shift to Pune,” Fariha Zaman told Awaz – The Voice.

Fariha’s mother, Salima Zaman, stood like a rock in support of her daughter. She even relocated to Bengaluru for her daughter’s career.

“At one time, I was told on the block that I was not eligible to participate because Assam had parallel swimming organisations. Not once, but twice. It obviously shattered me because we swimmers prepare ourselves with a focus on certain goals. Disqualification on such grounds leaves us shattered because I know my medal is going to someone who does not deserve it,” she said.

The organisational impasse eventually forced Fariha to leave Assam and register with the Karnataka state swimming association when it came to her selection trials for the Commonwealth Games. It was during her days in Karnataka that Fariha splashed into the international pool and bagged as many as nine medals.

 Fariha Zamnan at Dr Zakir Husain Aquatics Complex,Guwahati  

Soon after her national debut, Fariha broke a 12-year-old 50 metre backstroke national record, which is still unbroken.

In an exclusive interview with Awaz–The Voice, she said, despite her international medals, she cherishes the 33rd National Games backstroke gold medal she won for Assam at Guwahati in 2007 the most.

 “It was a moment when people from all across Assam thronged the stands (at Dr Zakir Husain Aquatics Complex here) and cheered me. It gives me goosebumps even today. I am still overwhelmed by the very thought of giving back to the crowd what they wanted,” she said.

Fariha said, “I never take pressure. I was always focused on winning medals and believed in my preparations. To me, the competitions were just examinations of what I had prepared for.”

Fariha Zaman at the pool

Fariha moved to Dubai, where she did the coach’s training programmes. She recently returned to Assam to give it back. The Assam government appointed her as a swimming consultant under the Sports Authority of Assam, where she has been provided with state-of-the-art facilities to hone the swimming talent.

“I’m grateful to the Assam government for providing me with all the facilities, including the highly expensive touch pads, with which I am working on nurturing the upcoming talents to achieve the next level. Unlike my times, swimmers nowadays have a whole lot of scientific support, and with facilities like what we have in Assam -- a genetically swimming pocket -- their only focus should be on the Olympics,” Fariha said.

Asked about herself missing the Olympics, Fariha said: “I’ve achieved almost everything achievable with the limited support I had. And, I've achieved everything organically without taking supplements. But, when I ponder my career today, I feel I certainly missed psychological counselling, which is available today. Had I got such support, I believe, I would have certainly made it to the Olympics.”

About her future endeavours, Fariha said: “I’m soon going to launch what I missed as a kid. A splash pool. It’s going to come up in a couple of months. It’ll be for the beginners, from the age of two, and for those who have aquaphobia. My sole goal is to produce Olympians.”

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Despite being a force to reckon with in the pool, Assam has never produced an aquatics Olympian. Assam has so far got Olympians in badminton, boxing, archery and football.