Rubab Raza

Who is Rubab Raza?

Rubab Raza is an Olympic and national-record-holding swimmer from Pakistan. She became Pakistan's first female Olympic swimmer when she swam at the 2004 Olympics.

At the 2004 Summer Olympics, she swam the 50m Freestyle, though unable to progress through the first round she undoubtedly opened up the opportunity for future female Pakistani swimmers. She became the second Pakistani female to compete at the Olympics—following Shabana Akhtar at the 1996 Olympics--shortly before the country's third female competitor, Sumaira Zahoor, who ran the 1500m at the 2004 Games a few days after Raza swam. At the age of 13 at the time of her Olympic race, Raza was the youngest Pakistani female ever to compete at an Olympics.

The Pakistani Swimming Federation funded her with only $30 a month, but she was fortunate to have support from her father who is a retired army major and her mother who is a doctor.

She has won a number of national titles, and has seen success at Asian swimming tournaments.

She has also swum for Pakistan at the:

⁕2006 South Asian Games

⁕2006 Commonwealth Games