Tokyo, September 21, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final at the Asian Games 2026 after finishing joint-ninth overall in the heats with a time of 25.37 seconds here on Monday.
Rishabh Das narrowly missed out on a place in the final after clocking 25.41 seconds to finish 10th overall. He has been named the first reserve for the final.
India failed to secure a finalist in the men’s 50m freestyle, with Akash Mani and Heer Gitesh Shah finishing 26th and 28th, respectively. Akash recorded 23.43 seconds, while Heer Gitesh Shah clocked 23.57 seconds in the heats.
In the men’s 100m breaststroke heats, Danush Suresh finished 22nd overall in 1:03.46 and did not qualify for the final.
The Indian team in the men’s 4x200m freestyle relay, comprising Dhakshan Shashikumar, Sajan Prakash, Aneesh Sunil and Vedaant Mahadevan, also missed out on the final and has been placed as the first reserve.
India are being represented in 14 individual events, besides the men’s 4x100m freestyle, 4x200m freestyle and 4x100m medley relays.
Srihari and Sajan are among the most experienced swimmers in the Indian squad. Srihari represented India at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics, while Sajan competed at the Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2020 Games.
India have not fielded any women swimmers at the Asian Games 2026, as was also the case at the Commonwealth Games.
India are seeking to end a 12-year wait for an Asian Games swimming medal. Sandeep Sejwal was the last Indian swimmer to win a continental medal, claiming bronze in the 50m breaststroke at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon.
Indian swimmers returned without a medal from Hangzhou 2023, despite setting six national records.
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