In this biography
Quick facts
- Born
- 5 May 1938
- Died
- 2 April 1974
- Birthplace
- Bhamo, Kachin State, British Burma
- Country
- Myanmar
- Nationality
- Burmese
- Known for
- Winning the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle titles at the 1962 Asian Games
- Asian Games gold
- 400 m and 1,500 m freestyle · 1962
- Asian Games bronze
- 200 m freestyle · 1962
- Olympic Games
- Rome 1960 · Tokyo 1964
- Olympic best
- 20th · 1,500 m freestyle
Why this life matters
Tin Maung Ni produced one of Burma’s strongest individual records in Asian sport during the country’s post-independence swimming era.
Timeline
Key moments
Born in Bhamo
Born on 5 May in Kachin State in northern Burma.
Broke national records
Set marks across the freestyle distances during his first year at the University of Rangoon.
Won at the first SEAP Games
Established himself among Southeast Asia’s leading freestyle swimmers in Bangkok.
Made his Olympic debut
Placed twentieth overall in the 1,500-metre freestyle at the Rome Games.
Won two Asian Games titles
Took gold over 400 and 1,500 metres and bronze over 200 metres in Jakarta.
Returned to the Olympics
Contested the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle events at the Tokyo Games.
From Bhamo to national records
Tin Maung Ni was born in Bhamo in 1938 and began serious swimming as a teenager. When he entered the University of Rangoon in 1958, he rapidly established himself across the freestyle programme. Contemporary accounts credit him with national records from 100 through 1,500 metres, an unusually broad range that required sprint speed as well as the pacing and endurance needed for distance events.
His rise coincided with the creation of the Southeast Asian Peninsular Games, first held in Bangkok in 1959. Burma was one of the regional movement’s founding participants, and swimming offered a large medal programme in which a versatile athlete could shape the national standings. Tin Maung Ni won regionally and gained access to coaching and international competition that prepared him for a far larger stage.
Rome, Jakarta and an Asian championship double
At the Rome 1960 Olympics, Tin Maung Ni raced the men’s 1,500-metre freestyle. He finished fifth in his heat in 19 minutes 9.8 seconds and ranked twentieth overall. The performance did not reach the final, but it established an Olympic baseline for Burmese swimming. Unlike a one-off appearance, his career continued through regional meets where he could contend directly for titles.
The peak came at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta. World Aquatics records him as gold medallist in both the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle and bronze medallist over 200 metres. Winning at two distances made him one of the meet’s leading male freestyle swimmers and gave Burma three individual medals from one athlete. His 400-metre winning time, 4:33.00, remains preserved in the international federation’s historical results database.
Tokyo and a durable place in Myanmar sport
Tin Maung Ni returned at the Tokyo 1964 Olympics and entered both the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle. He again ranked twentieth overall in the longer event and also competed in the shorter distance. Olympic finals remained beyond reach, but two appearances across four years demonstrated sustained international level rather than a single qualifying moment.
He died in 1974 at only thirty-five. Myanmar has continued to send swimmers to the Olympics, but few have matched his continental medal record. His two Asian Games gold medals and bronze make him an essential link between the country’s early regional sporting leadership and its Olympic history. They also broaden the archive beyond recent professional sport by recovering an era when Burmese athletes were genuine title contenders in Asian swimming.
Quick answers
Frequently asked questions about Tin Maung Ni
- Who was Tin Maung Ni?
- Tin Maung Ni was an olympic swimmer and two-time Asian Games champion. Tin Maung Ni produced one of Burma’s strongest individual records in Asian sport during the country’s post-independence swimming era.
- What is Tin Maung Ni best known for?
- Tin Maung Ni is best known for winning the 400- and 1,500-metre freestyle titles at the 1962 Asian Games.
- When and where was Tin Maung Ni born?
- Tin Maung Ni was born on 5 May 1938 in Bhamo, Kachin State, British Burma.
- When did Tin Maung Ni die?
- Tin Maung Ni died on 2 April 1974.
Sources and further reading
Explore the evidence
These references support the biography and offer further reading. Official records, first-person accounts and independent reporting provide different perspectives; image records document attribution and licensing.
