The Junior Swimming World Championships 2025 continued to showcase rising global talent on Day 2, and Indian swimmers were once again in the thick of the action.
While medals remained elusive, the young contingent put up determined efforts across three events the women’s 100m freestyle, the men’s 100m butterfly, and the men’s 200m freestyle. For India, the standout of the day was Dhinidhi Desinghu, who came close to breaking into the top 30 in a highly competitive field in the women’s 100m freestyle. Meanwhile, steady swims from Rujula Shashidhara, Dharshan S, Jyoti Hazarika, and Tirthank Pegu underlined the progress being made by the country’s junior swimming program on the international stage.
Women’s 100m Freestyle: Promise from Dhinidhi and Rujula
The women’s 100m freestyle saw India’s two brightest junior prospects Dhinidhi Desinghu and Rujula Shashidhara line up against a massive field of 119 swimmers from across the world.
- Dhinidhi clocked 57.19 seconds, finishing 32nd overall. The performance highlighted her consistency in the middle-distance sprint event, even if she narrowly missed out on the semifinal cutoff. Dhinidhi’s time places her among Asia’s rising swimmers at this age group, and the experience against such a large international field will be invaluable.
- Rujula Shashidhara, competing alongside her, registered 57.88 seconds to finish 38th overall. While just outside the top 30, Rujula’s swim showed signs of technical improvement, especially in her second 50 meters, where she managed to hold her stroke efficiency better than in previous meets.
Both swimmers displayed composure under pressure. The fact that two Indians finished inside the top 40 in such a deep field is a sign of the growing strength of Indian women’s junior swimming, which has historically lagged behind the sprint-dominant nations in this discipline.
Men’s 100m Butterfly: Hazarika Leads the Charge
The men’s 100m butterfly featured two Indian participants Jananjoy Jyoti Hazarika and Dharshan S competing against 85 swimmers.
- Jananjoy Jyoti Hazarika finished 28th overall with a time of 55.00 seconds, making him the top Indian performer of the day. His swim was smooth through the opening 50 meters, where he managed to stay alongside some of the heat leaders, before fading slightly in the last 15 meters. Nonetheless, the time marked one of his personal-best efforts at this level and placed him firmly among the upper third of competitors.
- Dharshan S, meanwhile, clocked 56.03 seconds to place 40th overall. Dharshan has been transitioning to the butterfly from freestyle in recent years, and his performance demonstrated steady progress. His underwater kicks and turns were among the cleaner elements of his race, though improving his stroke rate in the back half of the race will be crucial going forward.
Both swimmers gained exposure to the high standards set by junior athletes from Europe and the United States, where sub-53 second timings were required to push for finals. For India, finishing within striking distance of the mid-tier pack in such events reflects encouraging growth.
Men’s 200m Freestyle: Tirthank Battles Through a Deep Field
The men’s 200m freestyle, with 107 entrants, was another grueling event where India’s Tirthank Pegu represented the tricolor. He finished with a time of 1:54.86, placing 50th overall. For Tirthank, the race was about measuring himself against the best middle-distance swimmers at the junior level. His splits suggested strong pacing through the opening 100 meters, though he struggled slightly to maintain momentum over the last 50 meters. Nevertheless, finishing inside the top half of the field in an event that is traditionally dominated by strong swimming nations like the USA, Australia, and Japan is commendable.
The experience will be crucial for Tirthank, who has been earmarked as a potential 200m specialist for India in the coming years. With improved endurance training and sharper race execution, he has the potential to push for sub-1:53 timings, which would bring him closer to the continental elite.
Learning Opportunities and Next Steps
Day 2 results may not have delivered finals qualifications, but they underlined steady progression in India’s junior swimming ecosystem. Importantly, all five swimmers placed themselves in the middle tiers of their events, avoiding the lower rankings that have often been associated with Indian participation at such competitions in the past.
The coaching staff will likely draw positives from:
- Consistency in sprint freestyle: Dhinidhi and Rujula’s ability to hold their times close together is encouraging. It suggests depth in the women’s freestyle sprint events, which could translate into competitive relay teams in the future.
- Hazarika’s 100m butterfly potential: Finishing in the top 30 in such a crowded event reflects a genuine international standard. With further refinement, he could be one of the swimmers to watch in senior competitions in the next few years.
- Exposure in tactical races: For Tirthank, managing his splits in the 200m freestyle will be a key learning as he works toward becoming a strong finisher in middle-distance events.
The immediate challenge for this young Indian squad is bridging the gap between consistent mid-pack finishes and semifinal qualifications. Achieving this will require incremental improvements sharper starts, stronger turns, and the ability to sustain high stroke rates in the final stretches of races.
India’s Day 2 at the Junior Swimming World Championships 2025 may not have produced headline-grabbing results, but it showcased the resilience and promise of the country’s next generation of swimmers. Dhinidhi’s 32nd place in the 100m freestyle, Hazarika’s 28th in the 100m butterfly, and Tirthank’s solid 200m freestyle are all markers of progress in disciplines where India has historically struggled to compete. While global junior swimming powerhouses continue to dominate, India’s young swimmers are no longer mere participants they are now beginning to challenge, learn, and consistently place themselves in competitive territory.
