Queenie Victoriya Gandam wins two medals at Finswimming World Masters Championship in Cairo

HYDERABAD: Hyderabad’s first underwater swimmer Queenie Victoriya Gandam, made history when she won a second silver medal at the CMAS Finswimming World Masters Championship in Cairo, Egypt, on Tuesday. She won silver medals in both 200 metres monofin and 400 metres bifin competitions in two consecutive days.

Queenie, a native of Barkatpura in Hyderabad was among the renowned underwater swimmers from 38 countries to participate in the international event. She took part in the 400-meter category on Monday and 200-meters category on Tuesday standing second in both the events.

Attributing her victory at Cairo to her coach Radhika, who introduced her to finswimming, Queenie said that finswimming was very tough as one must glide underwater wearing fins and snorkel depending on the category.

While bifin was comparatively easy in underwater swimming, the 42-year-old swimmer achieved a medal in the much tougher monofin category also. “In monofin, our feet are curtailed in a 4.5 kg single fin. The swimmer has to rely on abdominal strength to complete the distance underwater,” Queenie said in a recent interview.

Queenie Victoriya Gandam, a homemaker, entrepreneur and underwater swimming coach at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel National Police Academy, Hyderabad took to swimming at the age of 38.

Meanwhile, Telangana Minister for Sports Srinivas Goud in a message congratulated Queenie on her success at Cairo. Queenie will be returning home on Wednesday.