Swimming in CWG: Srihari Nataraj books final berth in men's 100m backstroke
Birmingham (PTI): Indian swimmer Srihari Nataraj has qualified for the finals of men's 100m backstroke after clocking 54:55 seconds in the semi-final event at the ongoing Commonwealth Games here.
The 21-year-old finished fourth in his heat and seventh overall to secure a berth in the medal event that will take place on Sunday.
South African Pieter Coetze, however, was the fastest swimmer across both the semi-finals, clocking 53.67s on day one of the competition.
The Bengaluru lad will now set his sights on becoming only the second Indian swimmer to bag a medal in the Commonwealth Games since Prasanta Karmakar's historic bronze in the para-swimming event at the Delhi CWG in 2010.
At the Tokyo Olympics last year, Nataraj had become the first Indian to swim in the classification A heat. The young swimmer had clocked 54:31s to finish 27th in the men's 100m backstroke event.
Earlier, in men's 400m Freestyle heats, Kushagra Rawat failed to advance to the semifinals after clocking 3:57.45 to finish 14th overall.
Sajan Prakash too missed out in the men's 50m butterfly event as he finished eighth clocking 25.01s.
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Deve Gowda hints at NDA tie-up for local body, Panchayat polls
Bengaluru: JD(S) supremo and former Prime Minister H.D. Deve Gowda has indicated that the party is open to an understanding with the NDA in the upcoming local body, taluk and zilla panchayat elections.
Speaking to reporters at J.P. Bhavan on Wednesday, he said the JD(S) is a regional party, while the BJP is a national party. “We have to wait and see what decision they take regarding a pre-poll alliance. As far as local body elections are concerned, we will discuss the matter together before taking a decision,” he said.
Responding to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah’s allegation that the JD(S) does not give positions to anyone outside the family, Deve Gowda said the charge has no substance. “My memory is still strong. I will respond to everything at the appropriate time,” he remarked.
He also said that a JD(S) convention will be held in Vijayapura on February 27 and that he has been invited to participate in the event.
