After a great debut in Para Athletics in Dubai and New Dheli, athletes from Nepal continue to travel to international competitions to represent their country. This time, it is the turn of Harkaman Gharti and Samana Gaire, who will be swimming for their country at the Para Swimming World Series in Fuji-Shizouka in Japan, which take place from April 10 to 12.
Gharti will compete in men’s S5 50m freestyle and 100m freestyle whilst Gaire will compete in the women’s S10 50m freestyle. For both swimmers, this will be their first international competition.
This is the fourth Para Swimming World Series out of eight to be held this year, and the first in which any swimmers from Nepal will compete.
Spurred on by the success at the Paris Paralympic Games of Palesha Goverdhan, the Taekwondo athlete who won Nepal’s first ever medal at either the Olympic and Paralympic games, Nepal has started 2025 with a generation of new para-athletes, all aiming to emulate her feats.
Other Asian athletes to watch:
Yip Pin Xiu, Singapore.
The golden girl has confirmed her participation in the competition, after her success in Paris 2024.
The 33-year-old will be competing in the Women’s 50m Backstroke S1-5 and Women’s 100m Backstroke S1-2, 6-14.
Pin Xiu has 12 gold medals in total won at the Asian Para Games, the Paralympic Games and various World ChampionshipsToh Wei Soong, Singapore.
The swimmer won Singapore’s first medal at the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Para Games and went on to become his country’s most decorated athlete with three golds and one silver.
Wei Soong will be competing in the Men’s 50m Freestyle S1-13, Men’s 100m Freestyle S1-14, Men’s 400m Freestyle S6-14, Men’s 100m Backstroke S1-2, 6-14 and Men’s 50m Butterfly S2-7
Takayuki Suzuki, Japan.
Suzuki (S4/SB3), who first competed in the Paralympics in Athens 2004, reached the top of the podium in the men’s 100m freestyle S4 in Tokyo. He also returned to gold medal form in Paris, winning in the same event, nearly two decades after his Paralympic debut.
The three-time Paralympic champion will also dive into the pool for three events – the men’s 50m and 100m freestyle, and the 50m breaststroke.Ernie Agat Gawilan, Philipines.
The swimmer wrote his name into the history books as the first gold medallist for the Philippines in the Asian Para Games, held in Jakarta. He will be competing in the Men’s 50m Butterfly S2-7, Men’s 200m Individual Medley SM5-14, Men’s 100m Freestyle S1-14 and Men’s 400m Freestyle S6-14
