Video: Meet Dubai-based Pakistani swimmer competing at Paris Olympics
18-year-old Ahmed Durrani swims at least 14-km a day and trains
Dubai: Meet the 18-year-old Ahmed Durrani who is the first Dubai-based Pakistani swimmer representing his country at the Paris Olympics.
Durrani whose family is from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province of Pakistan, has been training relentlessly for the last three years, swimming more than 14km a day. He trains almost four hours a day and six days a week.
His dedication and hard work paid off as he was selected to represent Pakistan at the Paris Olympics.
“I want to be a role model for Pakistani teens who dream big and want to perform on big stage,” Durrani told TravelsDubai.com in Dubai. He said that he wanted to make his parents and his country proud of his performance.
Hyperactive
Durrani who was first made to jump into the pool at the age of three to cope with his hyperactivity, turned out to be a natural swimmer. He continued to excel over the years becoming the junior national swimming champion of Pakistan before even turning 12.
His father Aasif Durrani and mother Ambreen Durrani are the driving forces behind his success. His mother plays a bigger role by motivating him and always standing by him to cope with the tough training routine. She turned him into a disciplined swimmer, helping him train regularly and taking him around the world to compete.
Though financially stretched in the absence of sponsors, father Aasif Durrani kept his promise to support his son’s dream to become an Olympian.
Best Swimmer
Ahmed’s talent became evident early on when he won the Best Swimmer of the Year award at his school swimming gala, when he was in Grade 3, impressing everyone with his speed and technique.
“Year after year, he continued to dominate, winning multiple awards and setting records at the Pakistan Junior Nationals competition at the age of 12,” said Ambreen who is a banker in Dubai. She has been driving Ahmed for training since he was a kid. She ensures that Ahmed does not miss his training sessions and eat well as well.
Big Moment
His breakthrough came when Ahmed participated in the 8th FINA World Junior championship in Lima, Peru, in 2022 where his performance was nothing short of phenomenal.
This success propelled him to the 19th Asian Games, Hangzhou, China in 2023 where he represented Pakistan and achieved personal bests in his races. Subsequently, he competed in 59th MILO/MAS Age Group competition in Malaysia and the 19th Singapore Championships in 2024 achieving the fastest FINA points and securing his spot for the Paris Olympics Games, 2024.
Personal Best
Ahmed has been training to set new personal bests and to bring glory to Pakistan on the international stage. He will compete in the 200m freestyle cateegory in Paris Olympics Games.
Elite swimmer
Ahmed’s sister Aizah Durrani who is also an elite swimmer kept him on his toes with in-house swimming challenges. “Though he let me win sometimes, I believe my brother has the potential to win on big platforms,” Aizah quipped. “It’s going to be my turn in the next Olympics as my brother gave me inspiration to train hard,” she added.
Tough training schedule
Ahmed, a student at the Dubai English Speaking College, follows a tough training routine. He wakes up at 4.30 am and trains from 5 am to 6.45 am. He leaves for school at 7.45 am. He reaches home from school at 3 pm, has lunch, and then again leaves for a second training session at 4.30 pm. He trains from 5 pm to 7.45 pm. He reaches home at 8.15 pm, has his dinner, and finishes his homework before going to bed at 10.30 pm.
Ahmed trains six days a week in the evening and four times a week in the morning. Ahmed’s favorite food is Qeema (minced meat), pasta, fish, and eggs. He loves to have a lot of oranges and orange juice.
In his message to teens, Ahmed said hard work with dedication always pays off.