Bhopal To Host National Para Swimming Championship 2026 For First Time From November 12–15, 405 Swimmers To Compete In 260 Races

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Bhopal will host the 26th National Para Swimming Championship 2026 for the first time. More than 400 para-swimmers from 26 states across the country, as well as from the Services, will take part in the four-day event, which will witness 260 races across 14 categories.

The championship will see participation from top para-swimmers nationwide. Seven para-swimmers who made India proud at the Japan Asian Para Games 2026 by winning medals will compete in the senior achievers' category.

They include Rohit Kumar, Himanshu Nandal, Tejas Nandkumar, Kapil Kumar, Swatik Patil, Niranjan Mukundan, and Ravi Karthik Budigina. Additionally, Padma Shri recipient swimmer Satyendra Singh Lohia from Madhya Pradesh, Suyash Jadhav from Maharashtra, and Niranjan Mukundan from Karnataka will also participate.

The championship will be held at the Prakash Taran Pushkar in the city from November 12 to 15.

It is being organised by the Paralympic Committee of India (PCI) and hosted by the Para Sports Association of Madhya Pradesh, in collaboration with the state government's Directorate of Sports and Youth Welfare and MP Tourism.

Chairman of the Para Swimming wing within the PCI, Virender Kumar Dabas, told The Free Press that the championship is being organised in Bhopal for the first time, though it is the fourth time the event is being hosted in Madhya Pradesh.

A contingent of around 700 people, including 405 swimmers (106 women and 299 men), 200 escorts, and 100 managers and technical officials, will participate in the championship, which is recognised by the World Para Swimming Committee, he said.

A total of 260 races across 14 categories, including S1 to S10 (physically impaired), S11 to S13 (visually impaired), and S14 (intellectually impaired), will form part of the event, Dabas said.

He added that the "Master Khemchand Dabas Trophy" will be presented to the winning state team. Medical classification for new players will be held on November 12, followed by the opening and closing ceremonies on November 14 and 15, respectively.

Participating Teams

Swimmers from Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, SSB (Seema Suraksha Bal), SSCB (Services Sports Control Board), Telangana, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will vie for top honours at the event.