India opened its swimming account at the Asian Para Games 2026 as Ravi Karthik Budigina clinched silver medal in the S13 category. He gave a outstanding performance by clocking 56.68 seconds and finishing in second place on the podium.
Egor Bolotov from Uzbekistan won the gold medal with a time of 52.90 seconds, and Viktor Volkov from Kazakhstan completed the top three with a time of 57.23 seconds.
Who Is Budigina?
Ravi Veera Venkata Bhavani Karthik Budigina is an Indian para-swimming athlete from Andhra Pradesh. He was Born on 23 October 2007. Ravi competes in the S13, SB13 and SM13 classifications, which are designated for athletes with visual impairments.
At the 2023 Citi Para Swimming World Series in Egypt, Ravi competed against international swimmers, gaining valuable experience on the global stage. He delivered a breakthrough performance at the 2025 Asian Youth Para Games in Dubai, winning six medals: three gold and three silver.
His gold medals came in the 200m individual medley, 100m butterfly and 100m breaststroke, while he won silver in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 50m freestyle.
These results highlighted his ability to compete across multiple strokes and distances. Ravi’s continued progress earned him selection for India’s para-swimming squad at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, marking his Commonwealth Games debut.
ACHIEVEMENT
• Gold Medal — Indian National Para Swimming Championship
• Represented India — Asian Para Games Selection Squad
• Multiple Medals — State Para Aquatic Meet
