Shaon Ganguly set a new meet and national record in the 400m IM at the 78th Senior National Aquatics Championships, while Karnataka topped the medal tally. Rishabh Das and Rohit Benediction also impressed with World Championships qualification timings, signaling a promising future for Indian swimming.
The 78th Senior National Aquatics Championships concluded in spectacular fashion at the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar on Thursday, with record-breaking performances and a thrilling finish to a week of high-octane swimming action. The standout of the final day was Karnataka’s Shaon Ganguly, who delivered a sensational performance in the men’s 400m Individual Medley (IM), setting a new meet record and rewriting the national best Indian time for the year.
Ganguly clocked 4 minutes 24.64 seconds in the 400m IM final, surpassing the previous national record of 4:25.62 set by Aryan Nehra in Hyderabad in 2023. In doing so, he not only clinched the gold medal but also brought the curtain down on the championships in spectacular style. Madhya Pradesh’s Advait Page finished second with a time of 4:26.90, while Gujarat’s Aryan Nehra came in third at 4:30.35.
This performance by Ganguly added another golden feather to Karnataka’s already dominant campaign. With 16 golds, 11 silvers, and 14 bronze medals, Karnataka topped the overall medal tally with a total of 41 medals. The state also dominated the women’s section with 10 gold, four silver, and five bronze medals, showcasing the depth and strength of their swimming talent.
In another exciting race of the day, Maharashtra’s Rishabh Das edged out Utkarsh Patil in a nail-biting 100m backstroke final. Rishabh touched the wall at 56.13 seconds, just 0.16 seconds ahead of Patil, who clocked 56.29. Karnataka’s Akash Mani finished third in 56.35 seconds. Although none came close to Olympian Srihari Nataraj’s national record of 55.10 seconds, the race was among the most closely contested of the championship.
Rishabh Das had already made headlines on Wednesday when he broke Nataraj’s meet record in the 200m backstroke with a stunning timing of 2:00.65. His performance not only secured gold but also qualified him for the World Championships with a B qualifying standard. Nataraj’s previous best was 2:02.29, set in Bhopal in 2019.
Another swimmer who qualified for the upcoming World Championships was Rohit Benediction, who won gold in the 50m butterfly. Rohit clocked 24.11 seconds, setting a new best Indian time and comfortably beating the world championship B qualification mark.
The men’s 100m freestyle also delivered an unexpected twist, with Maharashtra’s Heer Gitesh Shah securing gold by a whisker. Shah clocked 51.29 seconds, just ahead of Karnataka’s Tanish George Mathew (51.30) and Rishabh Das (51.43), adding more drama to the final evening.
Tamil Nadu secured second place in the overall standings, collecting 16 medals, including eight golds and five silvers. Maharashtra followed closely in third with 17 medals, five of which were gold.
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The championships were marked not just by individual brilliance but also by the rising standards of Indian swimming. Multiple meet records were broken, and world championship qualification times were achieved — a testament to the evolving competitiveness and talent pool in Indian aquatics.
With the curtains now drawn on the 78th Senior National Aquatics Championships, the stage is set for India’s elite swimmers to make their mark on the international stage, riding high on the momentum gained from this landmark national event.
