The 2025 World Aquatics Championships, held in Singapore from July 11 to August 3, marked another chapter in India’s ongoing journey to establish itself in the global aquatics arena.
With the theme “Water Shapes Us,” the 22nd edition of the championships saw over 2,500 athletes from 210 national federations compete across six disciplines: swimming, diving, open water swimming, artistic swimming, high diving, and water polo. India fielded a contingent of 19 athletes across three disciplines diving, open water swimming, and swimming but despite their efforts, the team concluded the event without a medal. Here’s a detailed look at India’s performance, challenges, and aspirations at this prestigious global event.
India’s Contingent and Disciplines
India’s participation included 14 male and 5 female athletes competing in diving (6 athletes), open water swimming (7 athletes), and swimming (6 athletes). The Swimming Federation of India, overseeing the national team, aimed to use the championships as a platform to gain experience and exposure ahead of future international competitions, including the Asian Swimming Championships 2025, which India will host in Ahmedabad.
Diving: A Developing Discipline
India’s diving team consisted of four male and two female athletes, competing in individual and synchronized events. The men’s divers included Surajit Rajbanshi, Indiver Sairem, Wilson Singh Ningthoujam, and Premson Yumnam, while Palak Sharma and Shravani Suryawanshi represented the women.
- Men’s Events: Surajit Rajbanshi competed in the 1m and 3m springboard events, scoring 238.80 (56th) and 271.70 (60th), respectively, but did not advance past the preliminaries. Indiver Sairem and Wilson Singh Ningthoujam participated in the 10m platform, posting scores of 253.90 (46th) and 233.00 (47th), respectively. Premson Yumnam also competed in the 1m and 3m springboard, scoring 219.15 (59th) and 261.70 (63rd). In synchronized events, Rajbanshi and Yumnam scored 254.04 (26th) in the 3m synchro springboard, while Ningthoujam and Sairem scored 299.88 (19th) in the 10m synchro platform.
- Women’s Events: Palak Sharma and Shravani Suryawanshi competed in the 3m springboard and 10m platform. Sharma scored 127.95 (52nd) in the 3m springboard and 132.10 (37th) in the 10m platform, while Suryawanshi scored 138.90 (51st) and 146.40 (35th) in the same events, respectively. Neither advanced to the semifinals.
While the divers showed commitment, their performances reflected the need for greater technical refinement and exposure to high-level competition. Diving remains a developing sport in India, with limited infrastructure and coaching resources compared to powerhouses like China and Australia.
Open Water Swimming: Endurance in Challenging Conditions
India’s open water swimming team included four men Dhrupad Ramakrishna, Prashans Hiremagalur, Army Pal, and Anurag Singh—and three women—Purva Sandip Gawade, Meenakshi Gopakumar Menon, and Diksha Sandip Yadav. The team competed in the 3km knockout sprints, 5km, 10km, and mixed team relay events.
- Men’s Events: In the men’s 5km, Dhrupad Ramakrishna clocked 1:07:25.1 (67th), and Prashans Hiremagalur finished with 1:04:27.7 (60th). In the 10km, Anurag Singh recorded 2:20:53.1 (56th), and Army Pal posted 2:23:32.9 (59th). In the 3km knockout sprints, Hiremagalur and Pal finished 26th (18:40.9) and 28th (19:42.0), respectively, failing to advance.
- Women’s Events: In the women’s 5km, Meenakshi Gopakumar Menon finished with 1:16:42.4 (67th), while Purva Sandip Gawade was marked as OTL (over time limit). In the 3km knockout sprints, Menon and Diksha Sandip Yadav placed 28th (20:39.4) and 25th (20:02.0), respectively, and did not advance. Gawade also recorded an OTL in the 10km.
- Mixed Team Relay: The quartet of Hiremagalur, Yadav, Menon, and Pal finished 20th with a time of 1:20:59.8 in the 4x1500m relay.
Open water swimming is a grueling discipline requiring exceptional endurance and strategy. India’s athletes faced stiff competition from experienced nations like Germany, Italy, and Australia, with Florian Wellbrock (Germany) and Moesha Johnson (Australia) dominating the men’s and women’s events, respectively. The Indian team’s results highlight the need for enhanced training facilities and international exposure to close the gap with top performers.
Swimming: Struggles in the Pool
India’s swimming contingent, consisting of six male swimmers Benedicton Rohit, Shoan Ganguly, Aryan Nehra, Sajan Prakash, Kushagra Rawat, and Likhith Selvaraj Prema—competed in various pool events. Notably, no female swimmers were included in the Indian lineup, a point of concern for the Swimming Federation of India.
- Sajan Prakash: The veteran swimmer, known for being the first Indian to earn direct Olympic qualification at the Tokyo Games, competed in the 200m freestyle (1:51.57, 43rd) and 200m butterfly (1:59.33, 24th). Despite his experience, Prakash missed the semifinals in both events, marking a disappointing end to his campaign.
- Aryan Nehra: Competing in the 400m freestyle (4:00.39, 37th) and 800m freestyle (8:21.30, 23rd), Nehra fell short of his personal best of 8:00.76 in the 800m freestyle from the 2023 Championships.
- Kushagra Rawat: In the 1500m freestyle, Rawat clocked 15:47.43, finishing 19th but not advancing to the final.
- Likhith Selvaraj Prema: Participating in the 50m breaststroke (28.45, 50th) and 100m breaststroke (1:01.99, 40th), Prema struggled to make an impact.
- Benedicton Rohit: In the 50m butterfly (24.26, 45th) and 100m butterfly (53.92, 47th), Rohit showed promise but could not progress beyond the heats.
- Shoan Ganguly: Competing in the 200m individual medley (2:05.40, 38th) and 400m individual medley (4:30.40, 28th), Ganguly’s performances reflected the challenges of competing against world-class swimmers.
The Indian swimmers’ inability to advance past the heats for three consecutive days underscored the gap between India and leading swimming nations like the United States, Australia, and Canada, which dominated the medal tally.
India’s performance at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships reflects broader challenges in the country’s aquatics ecosystem. Limited access to world-class training facilities, insufficient funding, and a lack of high-performance coaching are persistent hurdles. Unlike nations such as the United States, which won the swimming team trophy, or China, which dominated diving and artistic swimming, India’s aquatics program is still in a developmental phase.
The absence of female swimmers in the pool events was particularly notable, raising questions about the depth of talent development in Indian swimming. While the seeded entry list did not include Indian women, there remains hope that wildcard entries or relay teams could provide opportunities in future competitions.
Bright Spots and Future Prospects
Despite the lack of medals, India’s participation in Singapore was a step toward building experience and resilience. The team’s presence in three disciplines demonstrates a commitment to diversifying India’s aquatics portfolio beyond swimming. The upcoming Asian Swimming Championships 2025 in Ahmedabad offers a significant opportunity for India to showcase its potential on home soil against strong competitors like China, Japan, and Korea.
The Swimming Federation of India, with support from Asia Aquatics, is investing in infrastructure and training programs to prepare for the Ahmedabad event. The championships will also serve as a stepping stone toward the Asian Games, where India hopes to make a stronger mark.
India’s journey at the 2025 World Aquatics Championships was one of determination, even if the results did not reflect the athletes’ hard work. The 19 competitors showcased grit in the face of formidable competition, gaining invaluable experience on a global stage. As India gears up to host the Asian Swimming Championships in October 2025, the focus will be on addressing systemic challenges, nurturing young talent, and building a robust aquatics ecosystem. With continued investment and strategic planning, India’s aquatics community is poised to make waves in the years to come.
