Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final at the Asian Games 2026 after producing a solid performance in the heats on Monday. The two-time Olympian clocked 25.37 seconds to finish third in his heat and joint ninth-overall, securing his place in the final.
Srihari’s qualification gives India a representation in the men’s 50m backstroke final, where he will now look to challenge for a podium finish. The Indian swimmer has previously represented the country at the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
Srihari Nataraj qualifies for 50m backstroke final
Srihari clocked 25.37 seconds in the heats to finish joint-ninth overall. His performance was enough to earn a place in the final, keeping India’s hopes of a swimming medal alive at the Asian Games 2026. Rishabh Das, meanwhile, narrowly missed out on qualification. He finished with a timing of 25.41 seconds and was 11th overall. Das was named as the first reserve for the final.
The two Indian swimmers were among the competitors battling for places in the final, with only the top eight advancing.
Akash Mani, Heer Gitesh Shah miss 50m freestyle final
India did not have a swimmer qualify for the men’s 50m freestyle final. Akash Mani clocked 23.43 seconds to finish 26th overall, while Heer Gitesh Shah recorded 23.57 seconds and finished 28th.
Akash topped his heat with his 23.43-second effort, but his overall timing was not enough to secure a place in the final. Heer Gitesh Shah finished last in his heat. South Korea’s Youngbeom Kim produced the fastest performance in the event, clocking 21.71 seconds to set a new Games record in the men’s 50m freestyle heats.
Danush Suresh misses out in 100m breaststroke
India’s Danush Suresh also failed to qualify for the men’s 100m breaststroke final. He finished eighth in his heat with a timing of 1:03.46 seconds and was 22nd overall. The top eight swimmers from the heats advanced to the final, leaving Suresh outside the qualification spots.
India’s 4x200m freestyle relay team misses final
The Indian men’s 4x200m freestyle relay team also failed to make the final. The team featured Dhakshan Shashikumar, Sajan Prakash, Aneesh Sunil and Vedaant Mahadevan.
With Srihari Nataraj through to the 50m backstroke final, India will now have its focus on his medal bid in the event. The Indian swimming contingent will be looking to make an impact at the Asian Games 2026 after returning without a medal from the previous edition in Hangzhou.
