India's swimming campaign at the Commonwealth Games 2026 suffered another setback on Tuesday as experienced swimmer Sajan Prakash failed to qualify for the men's 50m butterfly semifinals after a disappointing performance in the heats.
The two-time Olympian finished eighth and last in Heat 9, clocking 24.94 seconds. His timing placed him 28th overall in the qualification standings, well outside the cut required to progress to the semifinals. It marked an early end to India's hopes in one of the sprint butterfly events.
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Sajan looked off the pace from the very start of the race and struggled to match the speed of his competitors throughout the 50-metre dash. Despite his experience on the international stage, the 31-year-old was unable to produce the explosive finish needed in the shortest butterfly event.
The result was particularly disappointing considering Sajan holds the Indian national record in the event with a personal best of 23.83 seconds. His effort of 24.94 seconds was more than a second slower than his best, highlighting a performance well below his usual standards.
Another Disappointing Outing
Tuesday's exit came just a day after another underwhelming performance in Sajan's preferred event, the men's 200m butterfly. He had reached the final but finished eighth and last with a time of 1:58.05 seconds.
That swim also fell short of expectations, as it was considerably slower than his personal best and national record of 1:56.38 seconds. Having entered the Games as one of India's most accomplished swimmers, Sajan endured a difficult campaign with back-to-back disappointing results.
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The Kerala-born swimmer has been one of India's leading names in swimming over the past decade. He represented the country at both the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympic Games and has consistently dominated the butterfly events at the national level. His qualification for multiple Olympics has made him a key figure in Indian swimming.
India's Swimming Hopes Take A Hit
Sajan's elimination from the 50m butterfly is another significant blow for the Indian contingent, which had hoped for a stronger showing in the swimming competition at Glasgow 2026. With one of India's most experienced swimmers failing to challenge for a semifinal berth, the team's medal hopes in the pool have taken a hit.