CWG 2026: Karthik Budigina, Ali Imam enter para swimming final; Srihari Nataraj advances to backstroke semis
Glasgow, July 24
Indian swimmers enjoyed a productive session at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Friday, with para swimmers Karthik Budigina and Ali Imam qualifying for the men's 100m freestyle S13 final, while Olympian Srihari Nataraj secured a place in the semifinals of the men's 50m backstroke.
According to ESPN, the 18-year-old Budigina produced an impressive swim in his Commonwealth Games debut, clocking 57.10 seconds to finish third in the men's 100m freestyle S13 heats. The visually impaired swimmer was fourth at the turn before producing a strong finish to move up into the top three.
Great Britain's Stephen Clegg topped the heats in 56.57 seconds, leaving Budigina just 0.53 seconds off the fastest qualifying time.
Budigina, regarded as one of India's brightest para swimming prospects, switched to the sport from rowing during the COVID-19 pandemic and has continued his rapid rise since making the transition.
Ali Imam, another Commonwealth Games debutant, also progressed to the final despite finishing last in the heats with a time of 1:05.32. Imam competes internationally in the S12 classification but raced in the S13 event, with all eight swimmers in the field advancing to the medal race scheduled for later on Thursday.
India also had reason to celebrate in the swimming pool as Srihari Nataraj qualified for the semifinals of the men's 50m backstroke, as per ESPN.
The Olympian finished fifth in Heat 4 with a time of 25.52 seconds, which placed him 14th overall across the five heats and was enough to secure one of the semifinal spots.
Nataraj had entered the Games after meeting the qualification standard of 25.39 seconds and will look to improve on his heat performance in the semifinal later in the evening.
South Africa's Pietr Coetze set the pace in the heats with a time of 24.45 seconds, finishing 1.07 seconds faster than the Indian.
India will now have three swimmers in action in the evening session, with Budigina and Imam chasing medals in the para swimming final before Nataraj returns to the pool aiming to book a place in the men's 50m backstroke final.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great news for Indian swimming! Srihari Nataraj making semis in 50m backstroke is solid—25.52s is decent, hope he improves in the semis. Also amazing to see para swimmers Karthik and Ali compete at this level. Commonwealth Games always bring out the best in our athletes. Kudos to all three. 🥳
Loving the depth in Indian swimming now—para and able-bodied both! Karthik and Ali in the same final, plus Srihari's experience. But we need more support for para athletes; Ali finished last but still made the final because all advanced. The system should ensure more competitive events. Still, proud of our swimmers!
Seeing an 18-year-old like Karthik debut at CWG and make the final is inspiring. From rowing to swimming—yaar, that's not easy! Also glad Ali Imam got the experience, even if the time wasn't great. Srihari Nataraj is a proven talent. Indian swimming is on the rise, slowly but surely. Keep it up champs! 🏆
Impressive stuff from Karthik Budigina! 57.10s and just 0.53 seconds behind the British favourite. Hope he can shave off a bit more in the final. Srihari's 25.52s is a good effort too—needs to go faster for the final though. Overall, positive start for India in the pool 💪
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