Himanshu Nandan Wins Bronze in Mens 400m Freestyle at Asian Para Games
Indian swimmer Himanshu Nandan secures bronze in the mens 400m freestyle S11 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya.
Nagoya, October 20 (Daily Kiran) : Indian swimmer Himanshu Nandan clinched a bronze medal in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S11 event at the Asian Para Games 2026 held in Nagoya on October 20. Nandan completed the race in a time of 5 minutes and 10.91 seconds, securing his place on the podium among four competitors.
The 22-year-old from Rohtak, Haryana, has added another achievement to his para-swimming career. Previously, he narrowly missed a medal in a competition, but this time he showcased his endurance in the pool. On Monday, Nandan finished fourth in the men’s 100-meter backstroke S11 event.
Born with a visual impairment due to optic nerve damage, Nandan has emerged as one of India’s promising para-swimmers. The S11 classification is designated for athletes with nearly total vision loss, making his recent performance a significant milestone in his sports career.
Interestingly, Nandan did not start his athletic journey in swimming. He initially tried his hand at judo, winning medals in national competitions. In 2021, he transitioned to swimming, a move that proved beneficial. His remarkable performances in domestic championships established him as a swimmer to watch.
At the National Championship in Udaipur in 2022, Nandan won two gold medals and set a national record in the 100-meter freestyle S11 event with a time of 1 minute and 17 seconds. Later that year, he continued his excellent form at a championship in Guwahati, where he won three more gold medals and set additional national records.
Nandan has also made his mark internationally. After receiving international classification in the S11 category in 2023, he represented India at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. He became the first Indian visually impaired swimmer to achieve the minimum qualification standard for the Paris Paralympics in 2024. He also competed against some of the world’s best swimmers at the World Para Swimming Championship in Singapore in 2025, reaching two finals.
In another event, India’s Ravi Karthik Budigina finished fifth in the men’s 400-meter freestyle S13 category with a time of 5:41.70. Budigina had previously won a silver medal in the men’s 100-meter freestyle S13 event on Monday. The S13 classification includes swimmers with visual impairments, but their vision impairment is less severe compared to those in the S11 category.
