Karnataka Takes Charge on Day One of 38th National Games

Synopsis

On January 29, Karnataka's swimmers made waves at the 38th National Games 2025 in Haldwani, clinching five gold medals and breaking records at the Dr. Syama Prasad Mukherjee Swimming Complex. Notable performances from Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu set the tone for a competitive tournament.

Key Takeaways

Karnataka swimmers excelled on day one.
Dhinidhi Desinghu won three golds.
Srihari Nataraj led in the 200m Freestyle.
Karnataka set a new relay meet record.
More thrilling races are expected ahead.

Haldwani (Uttarakhand), Jan 29 (NationPress) The swimmers from Karnataka made a remarkable impact 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. The state emerged victorious on the first day of events, thanks to standout performances from athletes like Srihari Nataraj and Dhinidhi Desinghu, along with the men's and women's freestyle relay teams that contributed to Karnataka's success.

Dhinidhi was the standout performer, earning three gold medals—two in individual events and one in a relay—while also setting a national record.

Karnataka’s Srihari Nataraj spearheaded the charge, winning gold in the 200m Freestyle with a time of 1:50.57, ahead of teammate 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 in 2:03.24 to claim the gold. Delhi’s Bhavya Sachdeva took second with 2:08.68, while Maharashtra’s Aditi Satish Hegde secured bronze in 2:09.74.

In the men’s 100m Butterfly, Tamil Nadu’s Benediction Rohit triumphed with a time of 53.89 seconds, just shy of the Games record. Maharashtra’s Mihir Ambre claimed silver in 54.24, and Kerala’s Sajan Prakash finished third in 54.52.

In the women’s 100m Butterfly, Karnataka continued its supremacy as Dhinidhi secured her second gold of the day with a time of 1:03.62. Her teammate Naisha Shetty earned silver in 1:04.81, while Odisha’s Shristi Upadhaya took bronze in 1:05.20.

The men’s team from Karnataka, 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 second in 3:29.92, followed by Gujarat in 3:32.23.

In the women’s 4x100m Freestyle Relay, the Karnataka team of Nina Venkatesh, Shalini R Dixit, Latiesha Mandana, and Dhinidhi Desinghu clinched gold in 4:01.58, outpacing Maharashtra (4:02.17) and Tamil Nadu (4:08.81).

With Karnataka leading the medal count in swimming, the team has established a formidable benchmark for the upcoming days. The excitement continues on Thursday with more exhilarating races anticipated in the pool.