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When new generation Indian swimming hero Sandeep Sejwal secured a 36th position in the preliminary rounds at the Beijing Olympics in 2008, people lauded the achievement nationwide.
But, few remember the feat achieved by a young swimmer from Islampur town of Guntur district Andhra Pradesh India, achieved 50 years ago at the Melbourne Games 1956.
India’s forgotten hero Shamsher Khan now is struggling to make ends meet. Khan set a national record in the 200m butterfly in 1954, and broke all records at the national meet in Bangalore in 1955.
His achievements earned him a ticket to the qualifying rounds of the Melbourne Summer Olympics of 1956. Not only was he the first ever Indian swimmer to do so, but he also finished 5th in the qualifiers and participated in both breaststroke and butterfly.
There has not been a single modern-day Indian swimmer who has repeated the feat. In fact, no Indian swimmer has ranked as high as Khan did at the Olympic qualifiers. He was a star outside the water, too. Interestingly, the Indian government sponsored his airfare to Melbourne, but it was later deducted from his salary.
Khan enlisted in the Indian Army, going on to serve in the Indo-China war of 1962 and the Indo-Pakistan war of 1971. He retired from the army in 1973 as a subedar. Sainik Samachar, the army bulletin of the time, proudly claimed Shamsher as its jewel.
The current crop of Indian swimmers, despite having international coaches and world-class facilities, struggle to even qualify for the preliminary rounds.
His elder son, Shah Vali is in the army as well – he is currently a jawan, while his father lives with Vali's younger brother, Shah Ali.
Khan has not been offered any financial help
In recent years, sadly, Khan has not been in the best of health, suffering a stroke a few years ago.
In view of the family’s dire financial conditions, however, Khan has refused, or is unable to buy medication for his treatment, instead telling people he is surviving on his laurels, on being a champion.
No sports body has granted Khan either a pension or a reward. The champion has run from pillar to post, approaching several government offices and officials for some form of assistance, but got no response.
After his house was washed away in the 1990 Andhra Pradesh cyclone, very little help came his way. Several attempts to speak to officials for help failed, with his pleas falling on deaf ears as he gave up on the cause.
London Olympics 2012 got more potential support from India but still today our Indian participants had not achieved a lot where as crores of money has been spent on their coaching. The country has no respect of the Olympian who did so well in the California 1955 Olympics 200 mts butter fly event and in Melbourne Olympics 1956 swimming 200 mts
In what is a matter of great dishonor to the first swimmer who represented India at the Olympics, the Swimming Federation of India (SFI) has not only forgotten Shamsher Khan's feat but bestowed the honour of being the first Indian swimmer to have qualified for an Olympic event on youngster Virdhawal Khade instead.
It is time, as Khan grows older, for the government and organisations to honour, as is rightly deserved, an icon who served the country on the sports arena and off it.
