Para-Swimmers Shine at 24th National Championship in Goa

The 24th National Para-Swimming Championship in Goa celebrated resilience and athleticism, witnessing excellent performances by para-athletes nationwide. Key victories included Lakhan Singh securing gold in Men's S4, Karnataka's dominance in multiple categories, and notable performances in junior and women's events, highlighting inclusivity and determination in sports.

The 24th National Para-Swimming Championship opened with vibrancy in Goa on Sunday, spotlighting exceptional talent and determination among athletes nationwide. Competitors from various states have gathered, eager to demonstrate their skills and vie for prestigious titles, embodying resilience and athleticism.

In men's events, Lakhan Singh of Rajasthan triumphantly claimed the S4 100m freestyle gold, clocking in at 3:04.50, trailed closely by Kamalkant from Odisha and Balraj from Haryana, who captured silver and bronze. Narhari of Odisha excelled with a victorious S5 100m freestyle time of 1:54.73, nudging past Andhra Pradesh's Lakshmarao and Bihar's Shams Aalam.

Maharashtra's Chaitanya Vishwas emerged victorious in the S6 100m freestyle with a time of 1:15.64, outperforming Uttarakhand's Rajendra Singh and Odisha's Chaitonya. Karnataka's prowess shone in the S7 category with Tejas and Gopichand leading, while Charith from Andhra Pradesh claimed bronze as per the National Para-Swimming Championship press release. Karnataka continued its triumph with Shridhar's gold win in the S8 category and Sahil Rajaram and Amol's stellar display in the S9 event. In S10, Services' Kapil Kumar took the gold with a quick 1:02.50, followed by Ajay Hindurao and Swapnil Sanjay of Maharashtra.

The junior events captivated with Kerala's Muhammed Aasim clinching gold in Junior Boys S2 100m freestyle, and Karnataka's Aniket Chidambar topping the S5 category. Standouts included Karnataka's Eeshan in S7 and Bihar's Mohit Kumar in S9. Remarkable performances continued in women's events, with golds by Sharanya from Karnataka in the S7, Maharashtra's Vasihnavi Vinod in the S8, and Shashruti Vinayak from Maharashtra in the S9. The entrancing 50m backstroke saw Odisha's Kamalakant in S3 and Tamil Nadu's Jeya Selvan in S6 seize gold.

The championship not only highlighted para-athletes' extraordinary abilities but also emphasized inclusivity and determination in sports, promising inspiration for future athletes and raising para-sports' profile nationally.

(With inputs from agencies.)