Grand Opening, 11th Asian Aquatics Championship 2025 Ahmedabad 28th Sep 2025.

The 11th Asian Aquatics Championships officially began in Ahmedabad, India, on September 28, 2025, with a grand opening ceremony at the newly inaugurated Veer Savarkar Sports Complex. The event, which runs until October 11, brings together over 1,100 athletes from 29 countries to compete in swimming, diving, artistic swimming, and water polo.
Event highlights
  • Inauguration: The championships were declared open by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, with Gujarat Sports Minister Harsh Sanghavi also in attendance. The ceremony featured a vibrant light and sound show and cultural dance performances showcasing India’s diversity.
  • Venue: The state-of-the-art 
    Veer Savarkar Sports Complex

     serves as the host venue. The use of this international-standard facility highlights Ahmedabad’s ambition to become a major sports hub and boosts India’s potential bid for the 2036 Olympic Games.

  • Athlete participation: Approximately 1,100 athletes from 29 nations are competing, including a strong Indian contingent led by Olympians Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj.
  • Cultural celebration: During the opening ceremony, Minister Sanghavi highlighted India’s “Athithi Devo Bhava” (The guest is equivalent to God) tradition and encouraged athletes to experience Gujarat’s rich culture, including the Navratri festival and Garba dance, during their stay.
  • Indian sporting pride: Chief Minister Patel praised the growth of India’s sporting culture and infrastructure under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Sports Policy. He noted that Indian athletes are now consistently winning medals in major international competitions.
India’s historic start
The Indian contingent got off to a memorable start on the first day of competition:
  • Historic diving medal: Divers Indiver Sairam and Willson Sing Ningthoujam won India’s first-ever medal in the Asian Aquatics diving event, a bronze in the men’s 10m synchronised platform.
  • Swimming success: Indian swimmers have also performed well in the early days. In the 200m backstroke, Rishabh Das secured a silver medal.
The opening ceremony has set the stage for two weeks of high-level competition, showcasing Asian aquatic talent and demonstrating India’s capability to host major international sporting events.

Source:

https://www.swimming.org.in/