Asian Aquatic C'ship 2025: Srihari Nataraj targets freestyle glory

Two-time Olympian Srihari Nataraj will be amongst the stars competing at the Asian Aquatic Championship 2025 at the newly constructed Veer Savarkar Sports Complex in Ahmedabad, Gujarat from September 28 to October 11.

Having long been recognised as India’s leading backstroker, the 24-year-old is shifting his focus this season to freestyle. “Backstroke has always been my main event, but this year I’ve been focusing more on freestyle, particularly the 100 and 200 metres. I realised that even without specific training, my freestyle times kept improving year after year. That gave us the confidence to prioritise it this season and see where it can take me,” Nataraj said.

The hunch was further validated at the 2025 FISU Summer World University Games, where he set Best Indian Times in the 100m freestyle (49.46s, bettering Virdhawal Khade’s 17-year mark of 49.47s) and the 200m freestyle (1:48.11s) in a semi-final finish.

Nataraj has been part of the national camp in Ahmedabad, training for the Asian Aquatic Championship. Speaking on the camp and his preparation, he remarked, “I’ve been here for the past month, and it’s been going really well. We’ve had time to get used to the pool, the blocks, the water conditions, and I think all of us are looking forward to putting in strong performances.”

He also highlighted the significance of the event being hosted in India. “I missed my first Asian Aquatic Championships back in 2016. So, it’s great that I get the chance at this point in my career. The facilities here are brilliant, and after training here for a month, I can say it’s going to be a fantastic meet. Everyone’s been preparing well, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can all achieve,” he noted.

While many expect a home advantage, Nataraj downplayed the impact. “Personally, I’m okay with wherever I swim. Some of my best races have come in pools I had never swum in before like in Germany earlier this year. So, while we’ve had a month to train here and know this pool better than anyone else, at the end of the day a pool is a pool, and all we need is a lane,” he said

Looking beyond Ahmedabad, the swimmer from Bengaluru is already eyeing bigger targets. “After this, I’ll be competing at the Khelo India University Games in Jaipur in November, and then the focus shifts to next year’s Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. My performances here should help towards qualification.”