Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj books 50m backstroke semis berth Commonwealth Games 2026

Team India kicked off its swimming campaign at the Commonwealth Games on a promising note this Friday. Headline act and Olympian Srihari Nataraj smoothly navigated his heat to book a berth in the men’s 50m backstroke semifinals, while para-swimmers Budigina and Ali Imam put on standout performances to advance straight to the men's 100m freestyle S13 final.

Srihari Nataraj qualifies for 50m backstroke semis

Competing in Heat 4 of the 50m backstroke, Nataraj touched the wall in 25.52 seconds to grab fifth place. Out of a deep 40-swimmer field split across the heats, his performance was more than enough to comfortably place him inside the top 16 qualifying bracket for the next round.

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The heat was dominated by England's Oliver Morgan, who took top spot with a rapid 24.91 seconds, closely trailed by teammates Jack Skerry (25.08), Matthew Ward (25.16), and Benjamin Winterborn (25.37). Finishing just 0.61 seconds behind Morgan, Nataraj will aim to shave off valuable split-seconds when he returns to the pool for the semifinals early Saturday morning (12:30 AM IST).

Two Indians advance to medal round in para event

India's para-swimming contingent made a major statement in the men's 100m freestyle S13 event, spearheaded by a standout performance from rising star Budigina. Turning at the 50-meter mark in fourth place, the Indian swimmer unleashed a powerful second-half surge, overtaking Britain's James Clegg in the closing meters to touch the wall in 57.10 seconds. He finished third overall, just 0.53 seconds off the pace set by heat-winner Stephen Clegg, with South Africa's Hendricks taking second.

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Joining Budigina in the final is fellow countryman Ali Imam, who clocked 1:05.32 to lock in his spot among the medal contenders. While Imam finished 8.75 seconds behind the leading pace, his effort was more than enough to secure a lane in the championship race. Both swimmers will return to the pool on Saturday, carrying India's hopes for its first swimming medal of the Games.