Himanshu Nandal wins bronze in 400m freestyle S11 at Asian Para Games
Synopsis
A day after finishing fourth in the 100m backstroke, 22-year-old Himanshu Nandal from Rohtak bounced back with a bronze in the 400m freestyle S11 at Nagoya — adding to a career that has taken him from national judo medals to becoming the first Indian blind swimmer to qualify for the Paris Paralympics.
Key Takeaways
Himanshu Nandal won bronze in the men's 400m freestyle S11 at the Asian Para Games, Nagoya on 20 October 2026 , clocking 5:10.91 .
The 22-year-old from Rohtak, Haryana had finished fourth in the 100m backstroke S11 the previous day.
Born blind due to optic nerve failure , Nandal switched from judo to swimming in 2021 .
In 2024 , he became the first Indian blind swimmer to meet the Minimum Qualification Standard for the Paris Paralympics .
Ravi Karthik Budigina finished fifth in the 400m freestyle S13 with a time of 5:41.70 ; he had won silver in the 100m freestyle S13 on Monday.
Indian para-swimmer Himanshu Nandal claimed a bronze medal in the men's 400m freestyle S11 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, clocking 5 minutes and 10.91 seconds to secure a podium finish in a four-swimmer field. The result marks another milestone in the 22-year-old's steadily rising career in visually impaired para-swimming.
The Performance in Context
Nandal, who hails from Rohtak, Haryana, demonstrated strong endurance across the 400-metre distance in the S11 classification — reserved for athletes with near-total visual impairment. The bronze came just a day after he narrowly missed the podium, finishing fourth in the men's 100m backstroke S11 event on Monday, making Tuesday's result a particularly determined bounce-back.
From Judo Mats to the Swimming Pool
Born blind due to optic nerve failure, Nandal initially carved out a competitive career in judo, winning medals at national-level competitions before switching to swimming in 2021. The transition proved transformative. At the 2022 National Championships in Udaipur, he won two gold medals and set a national record in the 100m freestyle S11, completing the race in 1 minute and 17 seconds. Later that year, at the championships in Guwahati, he added three more gold medals and further national records.
Growing International Stature
After receiving international S11 classification in 2023, Nandal represented India at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, China. In 2024, he became the first Indian blind swimmer to achieve the Minimum Qualification Standard for the Paris Paralympics, a landmark that underscored his emergence on the world stage. He subsequently competed at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore, reaching two finals.
Other India Result
Meanwhile, Ravi Karthik Budigina finished fifth in the men's 400m freestyle S13 event with a time of 5:41.70. Budigina — who competes in the S13 classification, covering swimmers with comparatively less severe visual impairment — had won a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle S13 on Monday.
With Nandal's bronze adding to India's para-swimming tally at Nagoya, all eyes will be on whether he can build further momentum in any remaining events at the Games.
Point of View
National records to a Paralympics qualification standard — is the kind of story that rarely gets the visibility it deserves in mainstream Indian sports coverage. His bronze in Nagoya is not just a podium finish; it is the latest data point in a quiet but consistent ascent. What is notable is how swiftly he pivoted sports, hitting national records within a year of switching to the pool. India's para-sports pipeline has historically been underfunded and under-covered; Nandal's emergence from Rohtak, without the institutional scaffolding available to able-bodied athletes, makes his results more, not less, significant.
NationPress
20 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Himanshu Nandal and what medal did he win at the Asian Para Games?
Himanshu Nandal is a 22-year-old para-swimmer from Rohtak, Haryana, who competes in the S11 classification for athletes with near-total visual impairment. He won the bronze medal in the men's 400m freestyle S11 event at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya on 20 October 2026, clocking 5 minutes and 10.91 seconds.
What is the S11 classification in para-swimming?
The S11 classification is designated for swimmers with near-total visual impairment, including those who are fully blind. Athletes in this category compete with blacked-out goggles to ensure a level playing field and rely on tappers to signal the approaching wall.
What is Himanshu Nandal's background in sport?
Nandal initially competed in judo, winning medals at national-level competitions, before transitioning to para-swimming in 2021. He set national records at the 2022 National Championships and in 2024 became the first Indian blind swimmer to achieve the Minimum Qualification Standard for the Paris Paralympics.
How did Ravi Karthik Budigina perform at the Asian Para Games in Nagoya?
Ravi Karthik Budigina finished fifth in the men's 400m freestyle S13 event with a time of 5:41.70. He had won a silver medal in the men's 100m freestyle S13 on Monday at the same Games.
What are Himanshu Nandal's most significant career achievements before Nagoya?
Nandal won five gold medals and set multiple national records at the 2022 National Championships in Udaipur and Guwahati. He represented India at the Asian Para Games in Hangzhou in 2023, qualified for the Paris Paralympics in 2024, and reached two finals at the 2025 World Para Swimming Championships in Singapore.
