Shams Alam makes Bihar history at third straight Asian Para Games

A historic third appearance, after a difficult build-up

Shams Alam has become the first para-swimmer from Bihar to compete at three consecutive editions of the Asian Para Games, reaching Nagoya after a preparation period marked by interrupted training, injury and uncertainty over selection.

The wheelchair-bound swimmer qualified for three events — the 200m individual medley, 100m breaststroke and 200m freestyle — but, on the coaches’ advice, will compete only in the breaststroke. He has set a modest target: a top-six finish and an improved time in a technically demanding race.

Training setbacks and selection uncertainty

Alam’s qualification campaign included meeting the standard at an international competition in Iceland in 2025, improving his time in Barcelona in March and going faster again at the national meet in October. But around February and March, he was removed from the Sports Authority of India training centre in Gandhinagar while preparing for a competition in Norway. With nowhere else to stay, he returned to his village in Madhubani district and lost valuable training time.

He later moved to Delhi, resumed training and returned to international competition in Sweden in May, where he significantly improved his time and finished among the top five. A separate setback came when a hot pad used for back pain caused a burn. Because his spinal cord injury limits sensation in the affected area, he did not initially realise how serious it was. The wound took roughly two to two-and-a-half weeks to heal and disrupted his preparations for the June trials.

Although Alam could not match his Sweden performance at the trials, his time and ranking were enough for selection. The final team announcement came only after a prolonged wait. “The lack of clarity mentally disturbs us,” he said, adding that timely decisions would help athletes focus on preparation rather than paperwork and repeated requests for information.

Travel and access problems in Nagoya

Travel arrangements also added strain: tickets to Delhi arrived late on Tuesday, before the contingent travelled through Singapore and Tokyo to Nagoya, arriving on Thursday. Alam said he has no escort despite using a wheelchair. Hotel carpets make it difficult to move around and cause shoulder pain, while the swimming venue is about an hour and a half away. The commute has limited him to one training session a day instead of his usual two.

“I have officially requested help because continuously moving the wheelchair makes my shoulders hurt badly, and that affects my performance,” he said. Alam also said World Para Swimming guidelines require an escort in his category.

Breaststroke challenge

Alam said he later learned that only four swimmers had entered the individual medley, an event where he felt he might have had a medal chance. In the breaststroke, he faces competitors from Malaysia and Kazakhstan as well as Indian teammate Rohit Kumar. “Realistically, a medal may be beyond me here. My aim is to finish in the top six, improve my timing and avoid disqualification in this technical event,” he said.

Regardless of the result, Alam’s third successive appearance is a milestone for Bihar. He hopes to use the competition as another step towards qualifying for the upcoming World Championships.