Aichi-Nagoya, Sept 21:
Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj qualified for the men’s 50m backstroke final at the Asian Games after clocking 25.37 seconds in the heats on Monday.
The two-time Olympian finished third in his heat and was joint ninth overall, securing one of the available places in the final. His performance kept India’s hopes alive in the swimming pool as the country seeks medals in the discipline.
Rishabh Das clocked 25.41 seconds and finished 11th overall, narrowly missing the final. He will remain one of the reserves for the event.
India’s other swimmers faced a tougher morning, with the country’s entries in the men’s 50m freestyle and 100m breaststroke failing to advance to the respective finals.
Srihari will now return to the pool for the final, where he will face the leading swimmers from across Asia. His qualification represents another opportunity for India to challenge for a swimming medal at the Games.