India’s Ravi Karthik Budigina clinched silver in the men’s 100m freestyle S13 event at the 2026 Asian Para Games on Monday, delivering the country’s first swimming medal at the continental showpiece. The 18-year-old Andhra Pradesh swimmer clocked 56.68 seconds to finish behind Uzbekistan’s Egor Bolotov, who claimed gold in 52.90 seconds.Kazakhstan’s Viktor Volkov secured the bronze medal with a time of 57.23 seconds.Budigina’s podium finish marks a significant milestone in his emerging para-swimming career, as he made his mark in a competitive international field. The Indian swimmer competes in the S13, SB13 and SM13 classifications, which are designated for athletes with visual impairments.The S13 category is for swimmers with visual impairments who have the least degree of vision loss among athletes eligible to compete in para-swimming.At just 18, Budigina’s silver medal adds to India’s campaign at the Asian Para Games and offers encouragement for the country’s growing presence in para-swimming.
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