Srihari Nataraj wins 2 silver medals at Asian Aquatics Championships

AHMEDABAD: Ace Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj dazzled on the opening day of the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships, clinching the men’s 200m freestyle and 50m backstroke silver medals while also anchoring the 4x100m medley relay team to bronze, becoming the first Indian to win two or more continental medals in a single edition of the competition, here on Sunday.

This is also the first time in 16 years that India has won a medal at the elite event.

However, India’s up-and-coming teenage swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu missed out on a podium spot in women’s 200m freestyle, finishing fifth after qualifying for the final from Heat 1. She clocked 2:02.84 seconds.

Srihari clocked 1:48.47 seconds to finish behind 17-year-old Chinese Xu Haibo, who timed 1:46.83 seconds and was 1.64 second faster than the tall 24-year-old Indian, who has represented the country at the 2020 Tokyo and 2024 Paris Olympics.

Srihari, however, could not improve upon the national record of 1:48.22 seconds, which is also in his name.

Hinata Ando of Japan finished with a bronze, clocking 1:48.73 seconds. Agencies

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