Bhubaneshwar – The final day of swimming and diving at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships 2025 marked a historic achievement for India. Competing at the Veer Savarkar Sports Complex, India finished the aquatics events with a total of 13 medals ( Silver, Bronze), securing ninth position overall. This tally represents the country’s most successful Asian Aquatics campaign to date. (China was crowned the overall champion with medals.)
Final Day Brings Four Bronze Medals
India added four bronze medals to their count on the final day, thanks to excellent performances by Bhavya Sachdeva, Sajan Prakash, Srihari Nataraj, and the men’s relay team.
Women’s First Medal
- Bhavya Sachdeva made history by winning the bronze medal in the Women’s 400m Freestyle (time: 4:26.89). This was India’s first medal in the women’s category at the championships. Sachdeva maintained a strong position throughout the race but was ultimately edged out for silver by Vietnam’s Kha Nhi Nguyen.
Individual Men’s Bronzes
- Sajan Prakash claimed bronze in the Men’s Butterfly (1:57.90). After a slow start, Prakash surged forward but was pushed back into third place in the final lap by competitors from Chinese Taipei and Japan.
- In the Men’s 100m Backstroke, Srihari Nataraj secured a bronze medal (55.23). He was closely followed by teammate Rishabh Das, who finished just behind in fourth place.
Thrilling Relay Conclusion
- The Men’s 4×100m Freestyle Relay team rounded out the day with a final bronze medal (3:21.49). The team, consisting of Thomas Durai, Akash Mani, Rohit B Benedicton, and anchor Srihari Nataraj, put up a spirited fight. Akash Mani briefly propelled India into second place, and Srihari Nataraj made a powerful final attempt to secure silver, but the team ultimately held onto the third-place finish behind China and Chinese Taipei.
The 11th Asian Aquatics Championships 2025 will continue with the Artistic Swimming and Water Polo events starting from October 4.
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