Bhubaneswar , June 22 (IANS) The 78th Senior National Aquatic Championship kicked off on a high note ON Sunday morning at the Indoor Aquatic Centre, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.

The prestigious national event is being held under the aegis of the Swimming Federation of India (SFI). Over 400 athletes and 100 technical officials from across the country are participating in the championship.

The inaugural ceremony, held at 4:30 PM IST, was presided over by R.N. Jayprakash, President of the Swimming Federation of India. Minister of Sports, Suryabanshi Suraj, graced the occasion as the Chief Guest and officially declared the championship open, accompanied by the rhythmic beats of Odisha’s traditional Dulduli Baja.

Distinguished dignitaries in attendance included Ashok Kumar Panda, Additional Secretary, DSYS Odisha; Virendra Nanavati, Vice President of the Asian Aquatic Federation, Monal Chokshi, Secretary General, SFI; Vyas, Vice President, SFI; and Golapmani Mahanta, General Secretary, Odisha State Swimming Association.

The evening session witnessed electrifying performances in eight final events. The standout moment came from B. Benediction Rohit of Tamil Nadu, who set a new national meet record and the best Indian time in the men’s 100m butterfly, clocking 52.57 seconds. His stellar swim also secured him the B qualification standard for the upcoming World Championships in Singapore, scheduled from July 27 to August 3.

In the women’s 100m butterfly event, Odisha’s Shristi Upadhyaya made history by winning the state’s first-ever individual gold medal in the championship. She tied for the top podium spot with Assam’s Astha Chowdhary, both finishing with a time of 1:03.50 minutes, much to the delight of the home crowd.

–IANS

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