India Takes Two Para Swimming Medals at Asian Para Games

India's para swimmers reached the podium twice at the Asian Para Games 2026 on 22 October 2026. One medal came in a long freestyle race and the other in the shortest sprint in the pool, and the two swimmers competed in different classifications.

Kapil Kumar's silver in the 400m freestyle

Kapil Kumar finished second in the men's 400m freestyle S10 event and took the silver medal, touching the wall in what the government described as an impressive time. Prime Minister Narendra Modi said the swimmer's stamina, dedication and firmness of purpose had earned him a place on the podium that he thoroughly deserved, congratulated him on the swim and wished him continued success in the seasons ahead. The 400m freestyle is the longest of the individual freestyle races on this programme, so endurance rather than pure speed decides it, which is why the Prime Minister singled out stamina in his message.

Ravi Karthik Budigina's bronze in the 50m sprint

The second medal of the day went to Ravi Karthik Budigina, who finished third in the men's 50m freestyle S13 event and collected the bronze. The Prime Minister said he was very proud of the achievement, called the swimmer's passion and commitment noteworthy and sent his best wishes for the races still to come. Unlike the 400m, the 50m freestyle is settled in a single length of furious sprinting, so the two Indian medals of the day came from opposite ends of the distance range.

Reading the classification codes

Para swimming events carry a letter and a number, and both appear in the names of these two races. The letter S marks freestyle, backstroke and butterfly events, while the number that follows places a swimmer in a group of athletes with a comparable level of impairment. Kapil Kumar raced in the S10 group and Ravi Karthik Budigina in the S13 group, so although both won freestyle medals on the same day they were never in the same race.

What to remember for the exam

Four details carry the question here: the two names, the two distances, the two classifications and the colour of each medal. Kapil Kumar is the silver in the 400m freestyle S10; Ravi Karthik Budigina is the bronze in the 50m freestyle S13. A paper setter may also ask which stroke produced both Indian swimming medals of the day, and the answer in each case is freestyle.