Indian swimming’s poster boy Srihari Nataraj added yet another feather to his cap at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships, winning the bronze medal in the men’s 100m freestyle on Day 3 at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad.
This medal, his third individual podium at the competition, took his personal tally to five medals (three individual, two relays), further underlining his dominance as India’s most successful swimmer at the continental meet. Lining up in lane five for the final, Srihari had a focused start and showed sharp pace in the opening 50 metres. He turned in third position at the halfway mark, clocking a promising split. China’s Wang Haoyu (49.19s) led the field, with Qatar’s Hassan Ali Tamer (49.46s) close behind.
Srihari maintained his rhythm in the second lap, showing composure under pressure, and touched the wall in 49.96 seconds to secure the bronze medal.
India nearly had two swimmers in the top three, with Aakash Mani finishing just outside the podium in fourth place with a time of 50.45s. For Srihari, however, the sub-50 effort once again highlighted his consistency in sprint freestyle, where he continues to be India’s leading hope.
Speaking after the race, the Olympian reflected on his campaign:
“This year has been really good for me. My training has been going well, and I felt confident coming into this meet. I was quick in the heats and thought I could go even faster in the final, but the others swam superbly too. I am happy to be back on the podium,” he said. He added that competing in front of a passionate home crowd made the moment even more special: “Walking out for the race, finishing it, and then standing on the podium it’s a wonderful feeling. The crowd has been incredible. We have a large team here, with many coaches and families, and the past three days have been fantastic.
The energy in the stadium is unbelievable. Usually, in swimming, you can’t hear much during a race, but yesterday in the relay’s last 50 metres, I actually heard the cheering. It gave us a boost. That’s something you don’t forget.”
Rohit Benedicton Shines in Butterfly
Earlier in the evening, Rohit B. Benedicton continued his fine season by winning silver in the men’s 50m butterfly. The 22-year-old clocked 23.89s, breaking his own national record once again. He narrowly missed the gold, which went to Kazakhstan’s Adilbek Mussin, who touched first in 23.74s. Rohit has been steadily lowering his times in recent months. From 24.11s at the National Championships in June, to 24.00s and 23.96s at the World University Games in July, and now 23.89s in Ahmedabad, the trajectory points to a swimmer in peak form. His silver medal is also significant for India, given the traditionally limited success in butterfly sprint events.
In the women’s 100m freestyle, India had two finalists in Dhinidhi Desinghu and Shashidhar Rujula. Both young swimmers put up commendable efforts but fell short of the podium. Dhinidhi finished sixth, while Rujula took eighth place in a strong field dominated by East Asian competitors. While the results did not bring medals, the qualification of two Indians into the final reflected the growing depth in women’s freestyle swimming, an area where India has been striving to build a stronger presence.
India’s Medal Tally Rises to Nine
Srihari’s bronze and Rohit’s silver pushed India’s overall medal count at the championships to nine medals so far—a record haul for the country at the Asian Aquatics. This includes a combination of individual medals in freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke events, alongside breakthroughs in relay performances. For Srihari personally, this campaign has been particularly fruitful. His five medals make him the standout performer in the Indian contingent. Already established as the nation’s leading backstroker, his ability to medal in freestyle sprint events highlights his evolution into a versatile swimmer capable of competing with Asia’s best across multiple strokes.
India’s performances at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships have been a major boost to the sport’s profile in the country. Traditionally dominated by China, Japan, and Korea, the event has seen India consistently reaching finals and picking up medals, signaling that the gap is narrowing.
Srihari’s ability to stay under the 50-second mark in the 100m freestyle final is particularly significant in an Asian context, where world-class sprinters set the benchmark. Similarly, Rohit’s progress in butterfly places him among the rising sprint specialists in the continent. The presence of Indian women like Dhinidhi and Rujula in finals also suggests that the pipeline of talent is stronger than ever.
On a packed Tuesday evening in Ahmedabad, Indian swimming witnessed another milestone. Srihari Nataraj’s bronze in the 100m freestyle not only took his tally to five medals at the championships but also lifted India’s overall haul to nine, the best-ever at the Asian Aquatics. His consistency, combined with Rohit Benedicton’s silver in the 50m butterfly and the participation of young women finalists, reflects a sport in the middle of its most successful phase in history. As the Swimming championships move into the final days, the momentum is firmly with India. With the crowd’s energy behind them and a growing belief in their ability to challenge Asia’s elite, the swimmers are writing a new chapter for Indian aquatics.
Final Results (Day 3 Highlights):
- Men’s 100m Freestyle: Gold – Wang Haoyu (CHN) 49.19s; Silver – Hassan Ali Tamer (QAT) 49.46s; Bronze – Srihari Nataraj (IND) 49.96s
- Men’s 50m Butterfly: Gold – Adilbek Mussin (KAZ) 23.74s; Silver – Rohit B. Benedicton (IND) 23.89s
- Women’s 100m Freestyle: Dhinidhi Desinghu (IND) 6th; Shashidhar Rujula (IND) 8th
India now stands tall with nine medals at the championships its best-ever showing powered by the relentless drive of its swimmers.
