Srihari Nataraj Shines with Silver at Asian Aquatics Championships

Srihari Nataraj, the renowned Indian swimmer, delivered an impressive performance by securing a silver medal in the 200m freestyle at the 11th Asian Aquatics Championships. The event took place on Sunday, marking India's return to the championship podium in over 16 years.

Nataraj clocked 1:48.47 seconds, trailing China's 17-year-old Xu Haibo, who captured the gold with a time of 1:46.83 seconds. Japan's Hinata Ando secured the bronze. Nihar Ameen, India's head coach, had anticipated a strong show, aiming for 3-4 medals from the team, and Nataraj's performance was in line with these expectations.

The event, held at the state-of-the-art Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Naranpura, saw participation from over 1,100 swimmers from 29 countries, further cementing its status as a key qualifying competition for the upcoming Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.