The World University Games 2025, held from July 16–27 across the Rhine-Ruhr region and Berlin, Germany, provided a global stage for Indian swimming to showcase a new era of speed and self-belief.
Dubbed the “Olympics for university athletes,” the Games saw over 9,200 athletes from more than 150 countries compete across 18 sports, under the banner of the International University Sports Federation (FISU).
Among them, India fielded a 300-strong student-athlete delegation, including a focused swimming squad of 28 representing over 60 universities. While no Indian swimmer reached a final-lane appearance, the Games became a turning point: four national records, B-qualification spots for the 2026 World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, and a sense that Indian swimming is narrowing the gap on the continental stage.
Srihari Nataraj: Three National Records and a Statement of Intent
Leading the charge was Olympian Srihari Nataraj, long recognised as the standard-bearer of Indian swimming. At Rhine-Ruhr, he delivered his most consistent international meet yet, breaking three national records across freestyle and backstroke, and coming heartbreakingly close to a final.
In the men’s 200m freestyle on July 18, Nataraj first broke his own national record in the morning heats, clocking 1:48.22 (better than his 1:48.66 set at the Singapore Open a month earlier). That time topped his heat and placed him fifth overall among 60 swimmers, securing a semifinal berth.
Hours later in the semifinals, Nataraj raised the bar further to 1:48.11 shaving another tenth off the record. Finishing third in his semi, he placed ninth overall, missing the final by a mere 0.07 seconds. Notably, that time would have comfortably made the medal race at many previous editions of the Universiade, underscoring how competitive the 2025 field was.
Nataraj’s sprint events were no less impressive. In the men’s 100m freestyle on July 20, he posted 49.46 seconds in the heats, erasing Virdhawal Khade’s 17-year-old national record (49.47 from 2008). Winning his heat and qualifying 12th into the semifinals, he followed up with a solid 49.56 in the evening, finishing 15th overall. Cracking the sub-50-second mark repeatedly is a significant milestone for Indian sprint freestyle, long dominated by Khade’s benchmark.
Finally, in the men’s 50m backstroke, Nataraj posted 25.39 seconds in the semifinals just shy of his own national record (25.18) and finished 11th overall. Despite swimming multiple events in one evening, he managed season-best form, a testament to his fitness and focus.
Together, these swims secured B-qualification standards for the 2026 World Aquatics Championships and confirmed Nataraj’s status as India’s most reliable name on the start list for global events.
B. Benediction Rohit: Breaking New Barriers in Butterfly
If Nataraj brought the consistency, 22-year-old B. Benediction Rohit brought breakthrough speed in the sprints. Competing in the men’s 50m butterfly, Rohit became the first Indian male swimmer to break the 24-second barrier.
In the morning heats on July 18, he clocked 24.00 seconds, eclipsing Khade’s national record of 24.09 set in 2017. Rohit then bettered his own mark in the semifinals, stopping the clock at 23.96 seconds finishing 13th overall and missing the final by only 0.16 seconds. Though short of the top eight, this sub-24 swim aligns India with Asian and Commonwealth benchmarks, where such times have historically been enough for final lanes.
Rohit also competed in the 100m butterfly, finishing 22nd in 53.85 seconds an experience that complemented his sprint event focus. Like Nataraj, Rohit’s results met the B-qualification standards for Singapore 2026, marking his rise from domestic standout to credible international challenger.
Beyond Finals: Why the Times Matter More Than the Medals
In absolute terms, India did not reach a single medal race. But the context matters: Nataraj’s 1:48.11 in the 200m freestyle and Rohit’s 23.96 in the 50m butterfly would have been enough to make finals in past World University Games editions. That they fell short by hundredths in the most competitive field to date highlights progress rather than failure.
Moreover, global swimming recognises records set abroad though labelled “Best Indian Time” if outside national meets because the stopwatch is universal. In this sense, India’s new records place its swimmers in territory once dominated by Asian and Commonwealth finalists.
The momentum is quantifiable: India has produced 14 long-course national records in 2025 alone, with 13 coming in the last four weeks the fastest rate of improvement in national swimming history.
Looking Forward: Building on a Record-Setting Summer
With these performances, four Indian swimmers Nataraj, Rohit, Aryan Nehra, and Shoan Ganguly have now secured B-standard qualifications for the 2026 World Aquatics Championships. The long-term target is even clearer: the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, where these times could push India into historic finals.
Rhine-Ruhr may not have delivered medals, but it did something perhaps more valuable: it offered proof that Indian swimmers can now challenge, almost as a rule rather than the exception, for places in international semifinals and finals.
Empty hands, perhaps but fuller record books, faster times, and growing belief that the next barrier is not a dream but an achievable goal.
At the 2025 World University Games, Indian swimming traded medals for momentum and for the first time, it feels like the right trade. 🇮🇳🏊♂️🔥
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