India at Asian Games 2026: Swimming schedule, squad, & live streaming details
India is looking for its first swimming medal after 12 years
A 12-year gap without a swimming medal is the number hanging over India’s squad as it lands in Aichi-Nagoya. Two Olympic-tested names, Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj, are being counted on to finally change that story.
The last Indian to touch an Asian Games podium in the pool was Sandeep Sejwal, who took bronze in the 50m breaststroke back at Incheon in 2014.
Since then, the results haven’t followed. Notably, this squad won’t include any women’s competitors, which is what happened at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow earlier this year, where no Indian woman swimmer qualified either.
A name drawing attention well outside swimming circles is Vedaant Madhavan. The 21-year-old, son of actor R Madhavan, will race the 200m freestyle and 200m backstroke individually, plus the 4x200m freestyle relay. He clocked a personal-best 1:53.89 in the 200m free at the national trials in June, a mark that shows real progress.
Two other swimmers worth tracking are Aryan Nehra, who trains in France under a World Aquatics scholarship and became the first Indian to dip under eight minutes in the 800m freestyle, and Rohit Benedicton, a butterfly specialist who broke his own national record in the 50m fly twice on the same day at the nationals.
Squad list for Asian Games 2026 swimming
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- Sajan Prakash—100m, 200m butterfly
- Srihari Nataraj—50m backstroke
- Aryan Nehra—800m, 1500m freestyle
- Rishabh Das—50m, 100m backstroke; 4x100m medley relay
- Rohit Benedicton—50m, 100m butterfly; 100m freestyle; 4x100m freestyle relay; 4x100m medley relay
- Vedaant Madhavan—200m backstroke; 200m freestyle; 4x200m freestyle relay
- Akash Mani—50m, 100m freestyle; 4x100m freestyle relay; 4x100m medley relay
- Utkarsh Santosh Patil—100m, 200m backstroke
- Heer Gitesh Shah—50 m freestyle; 4x100m freestyle relay
- Dhakshan Shashikumar — 400m freestyle; 4x200m freestyle relay
- Aneesh Sunil Kumar Gowda—200m, 400m freestyle; 4x100m freestyle relay; 4x200m freestyle relay
- Danush Suresh—50m, 100m breaststroke; 4x100m medley relay
- No Indian women have qualified for the swimming events this year
Where and how to watch the live telecast and streaming of swimming at the Asian Games 2026 in India?
The Asian Games 2026 will be live-streamed online in India on the SonyLIV app and website. The television broadcast will take place on the Sony Sports Network channels.
India Swimming schedule and timings
September 20, Sunday
07:14 AM: Men’s 100m Freestyle — Heats
07:35 AM: Men’s 100m Backstroke—Heats
02:27 PM: Men’s 100m Freestyle — Final
02:49 PM: Men’s 100m Backstroke—Final
September 21, Monday
06:30 AM: Men’s 50m Backstroke—Heats
06:44 AM: Men’s 50m Freestyle — Heats
07:04 AM: Men’s 100m Breaststroke—Heats
07:31 AM: Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay — Heats
01:30 PM: Men’s 50m Backstroke—Final
01:42 PM: Men’s 50m Freestyle — Final
02:12 PM: Men’s 100m Breaststroke—Final
02:53 PM: Men’s 4x200m Freestyle Relay — Final
September 22, Tuesday
08:17 AM: Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay — Heats
01:59 PM: Men’s 1500m Freestyle
03:03 PM: Men’s 4x100m Medley Relay — Final
September 23, Wednesday
06:39 AM: Men’s 100m Butterfly—Heats
07:03 AM: Men’s 200m Freestyle — Heats
01:38 PM: Men’s 100m Butterfly — Final
01:54 PM: Men’s 200m Freestyle — Final
September 24, Thursday
06:38 AM: Men’s 50m Butterfly—Heats
07:43 AM: Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay — Heats
01:35 PM: Men’s 50m Butterfly—Final
02:44 PM: Men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay — Final
September 25, Friday
06:37 AM: Men’s 50m Breaststroke—Heats
06:58 AM: Men’s 200m Backstroke—Heats
07:10 AM: Men’s 400m Freestyle — Heats
07:34 AM: Men’s 200m Butterfly—Heats
01:35 PM: Men’s 50m Breaststroke—Final
01:55 PM: Men’s 200m Backstroke—Final
02:20 PM: Men’s 400m Freestyle — Final
02:47 PM: Men’s 200m Butterfly — Final
How many swimmers is India sending to the Asian Games 2026?
India has named a 12-member swimming squad for Aichi-Nagoya, and every athlete on the list is male, since no Indian woman swimmer qualified for these Games.
When was the last time India won a swimming medal at the Asian Games?
India’s last swimming medal came at Incheon 2014, when Sandeep Sejwal won bronze in the 50m breaststroke, meaning the country now carries a 12-year medal drought into Aichi-Nagoya.
Who are India’s best medal hopes in swimming at these Games?
Olympians Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj are seen as India’s strongest shots at ending the drought, competing in the butterfly and backstroke events, respectively, alongside rising names like Aryan Nehra and Rohit Benedicton
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