For para swimmer Niranjan Mukundan, 2026 is already shaping up to be a landmark year. Fresh off a strong showing at the Bergen Swim Festival 2026 — where he won five medals, including three silvers and two bronzes — the Bengaluru-based athlete has now also broken into the top five of the 2026 world rankings in the 200m IM SM7 category. But while the achievement may look massive on paper, Niranjan speaks about it with the calmness of someone who has learned to separate performance from pressure. There is excitement, certainly, but also perspective.
‘I was on cloud nine when I saw the world rankings’
For Niranjan, the journey to this milestone began earlier this year with competitions in Australia, followed by Norway, one of his favourite places to compete. It was there that he clocked a season-best timing of 2 minutes and 59 seconds in the 200m IM SM7 event, pushing him into the elite bracket globally.
“I was on cloud nine when I saw the rankings. Breaking into the top five in the world is a dream for any athlete, especially in a sport as competitive as swimming. In swimming, especially para swimming, the competition is brutal. Countries like China, Japan, the USA and Germany are incredibly strong. Even making it to finals at international events is tough. So seeing myself in the top five felt extremely special,” he says.
‘Rankings are temporary, effort is permanent’
Despite the milestone, Niranjan states he tries not to get emotionally attached to rankings. “Rankings and records are never permanent. There will always be someone training harder somewhere, someone who can overtake you tomorrow. What matters to me is whether I gave my 100 per cent,” he says. The mindset, he admits, came only after years of injuries, surgeries and setbacks forced him to rethink his relationship with pressure. “I used to overthink what people would say if I didn’t win or swim fast enough. When you represent India, naturally, people expect results. I carried all that pressure into the pool,” he says.
Over time, however, he learned to focus only on what he could control. “My training, recovery and effort are in my hands. External noise will always exist. Once I started shutting that out, I became a better athlete and honestly, even a better person,” he shares.
‘I never started swimming thinking I’d represent India’
Today, Niranjan is one of India’s most recognised para swimmers. But he says swimming entered his life for reasons far removed from medals and rankings. “When I first started swimming, it was simply about leading a normal life. But over time, swimming gave me confidence and slowly that hunger to win developed. Then came the dream of representing India,” he says. Representing the country, he adds, remains his greatest motivation. “Every single time I wear the tricolour on my chest, it means everything to me. Out of 140 crore people, how many get the opportunity to wear the Indian flag and compete for the country?” he asks.
Eyes now on the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games
With momentum firmly on his side, Niranjan is now focused on what he calls the biggest goal of his year — the Asian Games and Commonwealth Games. “Everything we’re doing right now is building towards that. The ranking is a beautiful moment to cherish, but the journey is continuing,” he says.
‘Winning is not just my victory’
Niranjan believes awareness around para sports has improved, though slowly. “There’s definitely more awareness and visibility now. But in India, swimming and para swimming still don’t have that kind of fan following where people actively track performances through the year or come out in huge numbers to support athletes. Fan support genuinely boosts morale and confidence,” he says. Even while celebrating personal milestones, Niranjan is quick to acknowledge the people behind the scenes. “It’s always my name people see on the podium, but there’s an entire team behind every medal and ranking,” he says, crediting his coaches, trainers, family and support staff. “They all work around my body condition, injuries and mental pressure. So when I win, it never feels like an individual victory,” he concludes.
