Bhubaneswar witnessed a spectacular start to the Senior National Aquatic Championships as Tamil Nadu's B. Benedicton Rohit etched his name in the record books on June 22, 2025. Rohit shattered the 'Best Indian Time' in the men's 100m butterfly, clinching the gold medal and electrifying the crowd at the indoor Aquatic Centre in Kalinga Stadium.
Rohit's impressive time of 52.57 seconds not only secured him the top spot but also erased Virdhawal Khade's long-standing 'Best Indian Time' of 52.77 seconds set in 2009. Furthermore, he eclipsed the previous national record of 53.24 seconds held by two-time Olympian Sajan Prakash. This remarkable performance also enabled Rohit to achieve the 'B' qualification time for the World Championship scheduled to be held in Singapore starting July 27.
The 78th edition of the Senior National Aquatic Championships commenced at the iconic Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar. The event, scheduled from June 22 to 26, features participation from over 400 swimmers representing various states across the country. It is being jointly organized by the Swimming Federation of India, the Odisha State Swimming Association, and the Department of Sports and Youth Services, Government of Odisha.
In the 100m butterfly final, Rohit led from the start, building a significant lead over Sajan Prakash by the halfway mark. Prakash, representing All India Police, secured the silver medal with a time of 53.51 seconds, while Railways' Bikram Changmai claimed the bronze in 54.35 seconds.
Other notable performances on the opening day included the women's 100m butterfly, where Odisha's Shristi Upadhaya and Railways' Astha Choudhary shared the gold medal, both clocking an identical time of 1:03.50. Karnataka's Dhinidhi Desinghu finished closely behind in third place. In the men's 200m freestyle, Karnataka's Aneesh S Gowda edged out Sajan Prakash by a mere 0.01 seconds, clocking 1:50.85 to claim gold, with Prakash finishing at 1:50.86. Shoan Ganguly, also from Karnataka, secured the bronze. The Karnataka quartet of Tanish Mathew, Chinthan Shetty, Dharshan S, and Aneesh Gowda also won gold in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay with a time of 7:40.90.
Earlier in the day, the Minister for Sports & Youth Services, Suryabanshi Suraj, graced the inaugural ceremony as the chief guest. He expressed his pride in Odisha hosting a national-level aquatic event of such magnitude and highlighted the Odisha government's commitment to developing sports and athletes in the state. He also announced plans to construct 13 new swimming pool complexes across 13 districts to boost aquatic sports infrastructure.
With Rohit's record-breaking swim and several other outstanding performances, the Senior National Aquatic Championships promises to be an exciting event showcasing the best of Indian swimming talent.
