Karnataka Shines on Day One of 38th National Games
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Synopsis
On January 29, 2025, in Haldwani, Uttarakhand, Karnataka's swimmers showcased their prowess by securing five gold medals and setting a new meet record at the 38th National Games. Dhinidhi Desinghu and Srihari Nataraj were key contributors to this remarkable achievement.
Key Takeaways
- Karnataka won five gold medals.
- Dhinidhi Desinghu excelled by winning three golds.
- Srihari Nataraj led in the 200m Freestyle.
- The men's team set a new meet record in the 4x100m Freestyle Relay.
- Excitement continues with more events scheduled.
Haldwani (Uttarakhand), Jan 29 (NationPress) The swimmers from Karnataka made a remarkable impression on the inaugural day of the 38th National Games 2025 held here on Wednesday, securing five gold medals and establishing a new meet record at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex. Thanks to prominent athletes like Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu, along with the men's and women's freestyle relay teams, Karnataka emerged victorious on the first day of events.
Dhinidhi was the standout performer, winning three gold medals—two in individual events and one in a relay—while also setting a national record.
Karnataka’s Srihari Nataraj led the team by winning gold in the 200m Freestyle with a time of 1:50.57, outpacing fellow athlete Aneesh S Gowda (1:52.42) and Kerala’s Sajan Prakash (1:53.73).
In the women’s 200m Freestyle, emerging star Dhinidhi Desinghu from Karnataka shattered the National Games record, finishing with a time of 2:03.24 to secure gold. Bhavya Sachdeva from Delhi claimed second place with 2:08.68, while Aditi Satish Hegde from Maharashtra took bronze in 2:09.74.
In the men’s 100m Butterfly event, Tamil Nadu’s Benediction Rohit clinched gold with a time of 53.89 seconds, narrowly missing the Games record. Mihir Ambre from Maharashtra took silver in 54.24, and Kerala’s Sajan Prakash finished third in 54.52.
In the women’s 100m Butterfly, Karnataka continued their winning streak as Dhinidhi secured her second gold of the day with a time of 1:03.62. Teammate Naisha Shetty won silver with 1:04.81, while Odisha’s Shristi Upadhaya earned bronze in 1:05.20.
The Karnataka men’s team, consisting of Akash Mani, Chinatan S Shetty, Aneesh S Gowda, and Srihari Nataraj, set a new meet record (3:26.26) to win gold in the men’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay. Tamil Nadu finished in second place with 3:29.92, followed by Gujarat at 3:32.23.
In the women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay, the Karnataka team, including Nina Venkatesh, Shalini R Dixit, Latiesha Mandana, and Dhinidhi Desinghu, took gold with a time of 4:01.58, outperforming Maharashtra (4:02.17) and Tamil Nadu (4:08.81).
With Karnataka leading the medal tally in swimming, the team has set a remarkable standard for the upcoming days. The excitement continues on Thursday with more thrilling races anticipated in the pool.
