Himanshu Nandal Clinches Second Bronze in 100m Breaststroke S11, 1:20.72

At the Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Himanshu Nandal scooped his second bronze medal in the men’s 100m breaststroke S11, clocking 1:20.72.

The race was tight—he edged the last‑place finisher by a blink, finishing third in a field of only four swimmers. It was a shifty finish, with the clock barely catching him before the final sprint.

Nandal’s journey is nothing short of inspiring. Visually impaired since birth due to optic nerve failure, he moved to Delhi at four, trained under the National Association for the Blind, and even dabbled in judo before taking to the pool in 2021.

He’s already made waves on the international stage, becoming the first Indian blind swimmer to meet the Minimum Qualification Standard for the Paris Paralympics. This bronze is a solid stepping‑stone toward that dream.

India’s haul also includes Ravi Budigina’s silver in the 100m backstroke S13 and Rohit Kumar’s bronze in the 100m breaststroke SB4, keeping the country’s medal tally high.

Next up: Nandal will head to Paris in 2024, eyes on a higher podium spot and a chance to rewrite his own record.