Shams Aalam
 | ||||||
| Personal information | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh | |||||
| Born | 17 July 1986 Rathaus, Madhubani district, Bihar, India | |||||
| Website | www | |||||
| Sport | ||||||
| Country |  India | |||||
| Sport | Para Swimming | |||||
Medal record
| ||||||
Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh (born 17 July 1986) is an Indian Para swimmer. He is currently ranked number 1 by the World Para Swimming (WPS) in men's 100 m butterfly (S5 category) and men's 50 m breaststroke (SB4 category) as on 2 February 2024.[1] On 10 November 2024, he set a world record for longest open water swimming.[2][3]
Early life and education
[edit]Aalam was born in Rathaus Village, Madhubani District, Bihar, and later moved to Mumbai with his family. At the age of 24, he developed a benign tumour in his lower back which immobilized his lower half due to unsuccessful surgeries.[4][5] He lives in Dharavi, Mumbai and holds a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Rizvi College of Engineering and MBA from Sathyabama University, Chennai[6] He comes from a family of wrestlers.[7]
Swim career
[edit]Aalam won four gold medals at the Indian Open Para Swimming Championship in 2018, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Can-Am Para Swimming Championships held in Gatineau, Quebec.[8] He also represented India at the World Para Swimming Championship Maderia Portugal 2022 and 2018 Asian Para Games in Jakarta, Indonesia.[9] He is also received Best Sportsperson with Disability Award by the president of India on 3 December 2021 [10][11]
Athletic career
[edit]Aalam was interested in karate and participated in state and national karate events before 2010. After his surgery, he started to train as a swimmer.[12] He won a total of 15 medals at the 12th to 17th Indian National Para Swimming Championship, and was selected for the Indian contingent for the 2018 Asian Para Games to participate at the S5 category for 50M and 100M Butterfly and Freestyle and various other categories.[13] Aalam won Bronze at the 2016 Can-Am Para Swimming Championships held in Gatineau, Quebec in the men's 100m Breaststroke SB4 category.[14]
In the 20th National Para-Swimming Championship, Shams won gold medals in 50m butterfly and 150m medley categories along with one silver in 100m freestyle.[15][16]
Awards
[edit]Aalam Shaikh was awarded best emerging leader in disability sports and sports diplomacy by the U.S. Department of state global sports mentoring program 2018.[17][18] His interview with Kiran Rai for the 300 most influential people in Asia 2020 was published by The New York Press News Agency.[19][20] He was awarded the role model state award for the empowerment of Persons with Disabilities by the Social Welfare Department, Government of Bihar [21] on the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2020. He also got the best international athlete of the year 2020 by Bihar Para Sports Association. [citation needed]
Records
[edit]On 8 April 2017, he swam 9 km in 4 hours at Candolim Beach, Goa.[22][23] This was the world record for longest open sea swimming by a paraplegic person.[24][25] He also set a world record for the longest open water swimming at the National Takshila open Water swimming competition in Patna, Bihar, where he swam 13 km in the Ganga river. The record was ratified by the World Records Union.[2]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Shams Aalam on cloud nine with two world No.1 rankings". The Times of India. 2 February 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 4 February 2024.
- ^ a b "Para swimmer Aalam sets world record in open water". The Times of India. 11 November 2024. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Longest distance swum in open water by a paraplegic swimmer". World Records Union™. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Mohammed holds record in swimming after defeating cancer". Malayalam Samayam. 10 April 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Shams Aalam Shaikh wins 6 medals; sets NRs at Reykjavik International Games". thebridge.in. 31 January 2024. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "Breaking swimming records against all odds". The Navhind Times. 12 April 2017. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Bihar Para swimmer scripts a first for India". The Times of India. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 5 December 2024.
- ^ "2016 Can-Am Para Swimming Championships Results" (PDF).
- ^ Haji, Irfan (20 September 2018). "Aalam relieved after getting Para Asian Games ticket". The Asian Age. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ "Para swimmer bags national award for diving into accessibility". Times of India.
- ^ Nath, Damini (6 December 2021). "National Awards for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, 2020". THE HINDU.
- ^ Batt, Priyanka (25 August 2018). "Despite Winning Medals For India, This Disabled Mumbai Swimmer's Life Is Still Very Challenging". India Times. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
- ^ Gupta, Kriti (30 September 2018). "Defying All Odds, Swimmer Shams Alam Shaikh To Participate In Asian Para Games In Indonesia". India Times. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ https://www.swimming.ca/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/2016canamcompleteresults.pdf Page 20
- ^ "The Indian para-swimmer overcame tough training stint to win two gold medals at the 20th National Para-Swimming Championship". olympics.com.
- ^ "Paraplegia Couldn't Stop Bihar Athlete From Winning 50 Medals & World Record for India". The Better India.
- ^ "INDIAN SWIMMER AND PARA SPORTS LEADER ADVOCATES FOR INCLUSION". globalsportsmentoring.org. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
- ^ "Para athlete Shams selected for the mentorship programme". Times of India.
- ^ "Paraplegia struck Shams Aalam at a young age, but he leaves audience awestruck with his accolades". sociostory.org.
- ^ "Shams Aalam: A paraplegic swimmer who overcame all odds". cityspidey.com.
- ^ "Government of Bihar".
- ^ Gupta, Sharmila (9 April 2017). "Paralyzed Bandra Man Swims Across 8 Kms In 4 Hours & Proves Anything Is Possible". Mens XP. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
- ^ shaikh, mohammad shams. "para swimmer". U.S. global sports mentoring program. Retrieved 20 September 2021.
- ^ "Longest Open-Sea Swim by a Paraplegic: world record set by Mohammad Shams Aalam Shaikh". World Record Academy.
- ^ "Paraplegic's 8km swim makes it to World Records Academy". Times of India.