Asian Masters Swimming Championship kicks off in Bengaluru

Bengaluru: The second Asian Masters Swimming Championship 2026 was inaugurated in Bengaluru on Sunday, bringing together swimmers from across Asia for a week-long competition celebrating sporting excellence and lifelong participation in swimming.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and Sports Minister G. Parameshwara attended the inaugural event and encouraged the participants. The championship, being held from October 4 to 10, opened with 50-metre breaststroke events for men and women across various age categories.

In the men’s 25–29 category, Jai Prakash Ekbote clinched gold with a time of 29.44 seconds, followed by Shubham Upadhyay (30.12 seconds) and Yash Vikas Bagve (32.10 seconds). Ankit Somani won gold in the 40–44 category in 32.68 seconds, while Surendra Nayak topped the 65–69 category in 47.04 seconds.

In the women’s 25–29 category, Aarathi Bajirao Patil secured gold in 38.16 seconds, while Varuna Maiya won the 40–44 category in 45.91 seconds. Sri Lanka’s Shalini Wickramasooriya claimed gold in the 65–69 category, finishing in 57 seconds.

Swimmers from several Asian countries, including India and Thailand, are competing in the championship, which promotes fitness, sporting spirit and continued participation in swimming across age groups.