Indian para-swimmers Himanshu Nandal and Niranjan Mukundan won bronze medals in their respective events at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, on 20 October 2026. Nandal clocked 5:10.91 in the men’s 400m freestyle S11, while Mukundan recorded 2:57.01 in the men’s 200m individual medley SM7.
Medal-winning events
Nandal, aged 22, finished third in a four-swimmer field in the 400m freestyle S11 event. He was born blind because of optic nerve failure. Mukundan won bronze in the 200m individual medley SM7 event. An individual medley combines four swimming strokes in a prescribed sequence: butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke and freestyle. As of 20 October 2026, India had won 35 medals and was sixth in the Asian Para Games standings. The two swimming bronzes came on the second day of India’s campaign at the Games.
Para-swimming classifications
Para-swimming uses sport classes to group athletes according to the impact of their impairment on performance. The prefix “S” applies to freestyle, backstroke and butterfly events, while “SM” is used for individual medley events. The number following the prefix identifies the athlete’s sport class. S11 is a class for swimmers with severe visual impairment. S11 swimmers compete wearing opaque goggles, and a tapper may use a pole to alert a swimmer when they are approaching the wall. SM7 is an individual medley class for swimmers with eligible physical impairments.
Important Facts for Exams
- The Asian Para Games are a multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities from Asia.
- The first Asian Para Games were held in Guangzhou, China, in 2010.
- World Para Swimming uses the prefixes S, SB and SM for freestyle, backstroke and butterfly; breaststroke; and individual medley, respectively.
- Spina bifida is a congenital condition in which the spine and spinal cord do not develop properly.
Athlete profiles
Nandal is a political science graduate who took up swimming in 2021 after competing successfully in judo at the national level. Mukundan was born with spina bifida and clubbed feet and has undergone 19 corrective surgeries. He has won more than 107 international medals and holds multiple Asian records. Nandal’s bronze came in the S11 400m freestyle, while Mukundan’s came in the SM7 200m individual medley.
