Srihari Natraj Advances to Finals at Asian Games; India Triumphs in Sepaktakraw

At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, swimmer Srihari Natraj advanced to the finals of the men's 50m backstroke, showcasing impressive skills. Meanwhile, India's sepaktakraw team achieved a strong start with a 2-0 victory over Japan. However, the Wushu events proved challenging for Indian athletes, with Nyeman Wangsu finishing 15th in the changquan final and both Aparna Dahiya and Vikrant Baliyan exiting their respective Sanda competitions. Read on for more details on these thrilling performances.

By Narendra Chaudhary Sep 21, 2026, 07:37 IST

Srihari Natraj Shines in Swimming

At the ongoing Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, swimmer Srihari Natraj secured a spot in the finals of the men's 50m backstroke event after a strong performance in the heats on Monday.

Srihari and his teammate Rishabh Das placed third and fourth in their respective heats, according to reports from ESPN. Srihari recorded a time of 25.37 seconds, finishing just behind the heat leader, while Rishabh clocked in at 25.41 seconds, earning a reserve position for the finals.

The top ten swimmers from the heats had the opportunity to qualify for the finals, with Srihari finishing joint-ninth overall across all heats.

India's Victory in Sepaktakraw

In sepaktakraw, India kicked off their three-match series against Japan in Group B with a convincing 2-0 victory.

The Indian team initially fell behind 3-6 but fought back to narrow the gap to 5-6. Japan regained the lead at the timeout, leading 10-5. However, India surged back with five quick points to tie the score at 10-10 and ultimately won the first set 15-13 after trailing 5-10.

The second set began evenly at 2-2, but India quickly took control, establishing a commanding 9-3 lead. They continued to dominate, finishing the set 15-9 and securing the match 2-0.

Wushu Challenges for Indian Athletes

In the Wushu women's changquan final, Nyeman Wangsu finished in 15th place, continuing India's struggles in the sport.

Wangsu scored 9.573, with breakdowns of 4.90 for quality of movement, 2.673 for overall performance, and 2.00 for degree of difficulty. The medals were claimed by athletes from Hong Kong, Macao, and Indonesia, with Hong Kong's Sham Hui Yu Lydia achieving a score of 9.713.

Earlier, Aparna Dahiya faced a tough match in the women's 52kg Sanda Round of 16, losing 0-2 to Iran's Sogand Sinkaeichetan. Despite her previous success at the Sanda World Cup, where she won gold, she was unable to advance this time.

Additionally, Vikrant Baliyan exited the men's 75kg Sanda competition after a 0-2 defeat to Iran's Soheil Mousavi, who dominated both rounds with a 5-0 score.