Anum Bandey and Israr Hussain: Pakistan's designated swimmers at the London 2012 Olympic Games - Photo courtesy Pakistan Swimming Federation
Anum Bandey and Israr Hussain: Pakistan's designated swimmers at the London 2012 Olympic Games - Photo courtesy Pakistan Swimming Federation

KARACHI: Pakistan is set to make waves in the Olympic pool after two of its swimmers received confirmation to participate in the Olympic Games, according to a statement released by the Pakistan Swimming Federation (PSF) on Friday.

The international body for aquatic sports, FINA, has selected Anum Bandey and Israr Hussain of Pakistan on the basis of their performance in the 14th FINA World Championships, held in Shanghai last year. The allotment has been made on the ‘Universality Places,’ berths reserved for countries whose athletes are unable to qualify for the Games.

Husain, who clocked 57.69 seconds in Shanghai, will participate in the 100-metre freestyle heats. Bandey, who set a new national record at 5 minutes and 37.11 seconds, will feature in the 400-metre individual medley at the London Games.

Bandey will look to improve on the performance of her predecessor Kiran Khan, who represented Pakistan at the Games in Beijing in 2008. She will be the third Pakistani female swimmer to make waves at the Games after Khan and Rubab Raza, who made Olympic history for Pakistan by becoming the country’s first female Olympic swimmer at Athens in 2004.

Hussain was named the best male athlete at last year’s National Swimming Championship in Islamabad.

Opinion

Editorial

JAAC ban
Updated 07 Jun, 2026

JAAC ban

Though the JAAC’s demands are open to scrutiny, banning any political organisation — as long as it remains committed to peaceful activism — is undemocratic.
GB election
Updated 07 Jun, 2026

GB election

It is important that whichever party ultimately forms the government puts the needs of the people of GB above everything else.
ODI win
07 Jun, 2026

ODI win

AT last, the Pakistan cricket team had something to celebrate: a One-day International series victory against...
Trump rebuked
Updated 06 Jun, 2026

Trump rebuked

OBSERVERS across the world have long questioned the utility of Donald Trump’s now three-month-old war on Iran. But...
Hostile water motives
06 Jun, 2026

Hostile water motives

INDIA’S latest move to advance the Chenab-Beas Link Tunnel Project and its plan to flush silt from the Salal Dam...
Polio progress
06 Jun, 2026

Polio progress

PAKISTAN’S latest sub-national polio campaign offers encouraging evidence that the country can still push back...