The figures in this analysis are based on the available heat lists for the 2nd Asian Masters Swimming Championships. As a complete, consolidated PDF of individual entries was not available for cross-verification, the numbers should be treated as an estimate based on the documents reviewed. The final figures may vary if additional or updated entry records become available. The country-wise breakdown and total number of unique swimmers should therefore not be considered official participation figures unless confirmed by the organisers or the Swimming Federation of India (SFI).
The 2nd Asian Masters Swimming Championships concluded in Bengaluru, India, on October 10, but an analysis of available competition start lists raises questions about the international representation at an event advertised as bringing together Masters swimmers from 53 nations.
The 2nd Asian Masters Swimming Championships in Bengaluru featured 1,130 unique swimmers according to an analysis of the available heat lists, with 71 listed as foreign swimmers. That puts international participation at approximately 6.3% of the total, while Indian swimmers accounted for nearly 93.7% of the field.
The figures raise questions about the depth of international participation at an event intended to bring Masters swimmers from across Asia together.
India Accounted for More Than 93% of Swimmers
The revised country-wise analysis identified 1,059 Indian swimmers and 71 foreign swimmers across seven countries.
The country-wise breakdown is as follows:
| Country | Unique swimmers |
| India | 1,059 |
| Sri Lanka | 52 |
| Iran | 8 |
| China | 3 |
| Thailand | 3 |
| Japan | 2 |
| Malaysia | 2 |
| Oman | 1 |
| Total | 1,130 |
Sri Lanka accounted for 52 of the 71 foreign swimmers, representing approximately 73.2% of the international contingent. Iran contributed eight swimmers, while China and Thailand had three each. Japan and Malaysia had two each, and Oman had one.
Although the championship attracted entries from multiple countries, the analysis suggests that the overall field was overwhelmingly Indian(93.72%), with foreign swimmers making up approximately 6.28% of the total.
Based on the Heatlists Pdfs, the swimmer entries were counted using unique athlete IDs to avoid counting the same swimmer more than once.
1. Overall swimmer count
| Category | Number of Swimmers | Percentage |
| Indian swimmers | 1,059 | 93.72% |
| Foreign swimmers | 71 | 6.28% |
| Total unique swimmers | 1,130 | 100% |
2. Foreign swimmers by country
| Country | Number of Swimmers | % of Foreign Swimmers | % of All Swimmers |
| Sri Lanka | 52 | 73.24% | 4.60% |
| Iran | 8 | 11.27% | 0.71% |
| China | 3 | 4.23% | 0.27% |
| Thailand | 3 | 4.23% | 0.27% |
| Japan | 2 | 2.82% | 0.18% |
| Malaysia | 2 | 2.82% | 0.18% |
| Oman | 1 | 1.41% | 0.09% |
| Total | 71 | 100% | 6.28% |
Total number of foreign countries represented: 7
3. Foreign swimmers by gender
| Gender | Number | Percentage |
| Male | 56 | 78.87% |
| Female | 15 | 21.13% |
| Total | 71 | 100% |
4. Foreign swimmers by age group
Age groups are classified in five-year intervals.
| Age Group | Number of Swimmers | Percentage |
| 25–29 years | 18 | 25.35% |
| 30–34 years | 5 | 7.04% |
| 35–39 years | 15 | 21.13% |
| 40–44 years | 13 | 18.31% |
| 45–49 years | 3 | 4.23% |
| 50–54 years | 3 | 4.23% |
| 55–59 years | 6 | 8.45% |
| 60–64 years | 6 | 8.45% |
| 65–69 years | 2 | 2.82% |
| Total | 71 | 100% |
5. Complete list of foreign swimmers
The following list includes each foreign swimmer’s name, age, age group, and gender, organized by country.
A. Sri Lanka — 52 Swimmers
Male swimmers — 38
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group |
| 1 | Wanigathunga Appuham Eranga Lahiru | 25 | 25–29 |
| 2 | Gajasinghege Ethnuka Vayanajith | 26 | 25–29 |
| 3 | Mohamed Ameer Yusuf Marikkar | 26 | 25–29 |
| 4 | Patabendige Tharaka Lashen | 26 | 25–29 |
| 5 | Radush Sathasivam | 26 | 25–29 |
| 6 | Thevindu Dilmith Samarasekera | 26 | 25–29 |
| 7 | Gowinda Waduge Sehan Randula | 27 | 25–29 |
| 8 | Traveen Cooray | 27 | 25–29 |
| 9 | Yashindra Nawanage | 27 | 25–29 |
| 10 | Ilumbevidanelage Don Akhila Kaushan | 28 | 25–29 |
| 11 | Tharindu Udayanga | 29 | 25–29 |
| 12 | Binupa Sadishna Perera Hett | 30 | 30–34 |
| 13 | Mighara Hulangamuwa | 30 | 30–34 |
| 14 | Fabian Perera | 31 | 30–34 |
| 15 | Antonio Steve Rayen Bastian | 32 | 30–34 |
| 16 | Idam Gedara Amila Prasad | 36 | 35–39 |
| 17 | Janitha Madushan Abraham | 36 | 35–39 |
| 18 | Malith Arunoda Sunilrathna | 36 | 35–39 |
| 19 | Viren Anthonisz | 37 | 35–39 |
| 20 | Buliyadda Hewage Indika | 38 | 35–39 |
| 21 | Warahena Liyanage Tharindu Aravinda | 38 | 35–39 |
| 22 | Yatawarage Tharindu Dhanesh Perera | 38 | 35–39 |
| 23 | Mohamed Zakwan Maffas | 39 | 35–39 |
| 24 | Nammuni Sanjeewa Priyasanka | 40 | 40–44 |
| 25 | Kalith Anushka Guruge | 41 | 40–44 |
| 26 | M N Naveed Anjoon | 42 | 40–44 |
| 27 | Millawitiya Purihing Darshana | 42 | 40–44 |
| 28 | Sacheendra Thejaka Bandara Jaya | 42 | 40–44 |
| 29 | Kahandawala Arachchige Don | 43 | 40–44 |
| 30 | Thalpe Guruge Aruna Lahiru | 43 | 40–44 |
| 31 | Manage Don Nisansala Thejav | 44 | 40–44 |
| 32 | Chamara Wijesinghe | 50 | 50–54 |
| 33 | Dissanayake Mudhalige | 50 | 50–54 |
| 34 | Rohan Felix Senewiratne | 56 | 55–59 |
| 35 | Donald Julian Lee Bolling | 60 | 60–64 |
| 36 | Jayasuriya Arachilage Ranathung | 60 | 60–64 |
| 37 | Lindamulage Vijitha Fernando | 61 | 60–64 |
| 38 | Jehan Pieris | 67 | 65–69 |
Female swimmers — 14
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group |
| 39 | Dilrukshi Avanthi Devmini Perera | 26 | 25–29 |
| 40 | Nisali Kulara Samarakoon | 27 | 25–29 |
| 41 | Ahangama Withanage Yasindu Kavishan | 28 | 25–29 |
| 42 | Waniga Arachchige Mineli Sewwandi | 29 | 25–29 |
| 43 | Hansani Yasodara Weeratunge | 36 | 35–39 |
| 44 | Namali Yasangika Kumari Kah | 36 | 35–39 |
| 45 | Ruvini Udeshika Subhani Ran | 36 | 35–39 |
| 46 | Vindhya Hulangamuwa | 37 | 35–39 |
| 47 | Thanuja Fernando | 39 | 35–39 |
| 48 | Shanila Irushi Athulathmudal | 41 | 40–44 |
| 49 | Radiesha Shanilka Daluwatte | 42 | 40–44 |
| 50 | Sumudu Supun Liyanage Godah | 48 | 45–49 |
| 51 | Shenuka Aanjeli Hapugoda Uma | 49 | 45–49 |
| 52 | Shalini Wickramasuriya | 65 | 65–69 |
B. Iran — 8 Swimmers
All 8 swimmers are male.
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Ali Malehmir Chegini | 26 | 25–29 | Male |
| 2 | Mohammadaidinbayat . | 29 | 25–29 | Male |
| 3 | Amin Shayesteh Niko | 41 | 40–44 | Male |
| 4 | Seyed Ali Zahedi | 41 | 40–44 | Male |
| 5 | Alireza Naziri M | 57 | 55–59 | Male |
| 6 | Hamed Arasteh | 57 | 55–59 | Male |
| 7 | Arashhoseinzade Deylami | 59 | 55–59 | Male |
| 8 | Jalal Khavandgar | 62 | 60–64 | Male |
C. China — 3 Swimmers
All 3 swimmers are male.
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Gang LE | 50 | 50–54 | Male |
| 2 | Francesco Lanzone | 58 | 55–59 | Male |
| 3 | Junwei WU | 62 | 60–64 | Male |
D. Thailand — 3 Swimmers
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Sirimon Kalumpanant | 29 | 25–29 | Female |
| 2 | Varit Dechvichankit | 35 | 35–39 | Male |
| 3 | Chonchanok Sirikanna M | 38 | 35–39 | Male |
E. Japan — 2 Swimmers
Both swimmers are male.
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Kimiyoshi Shimura | 57 | 55–59 | Male |
| 2 | Motomu Suzuki | 64 | 60–64 | Male |
F. Malaysia — 2 Swimmers
Both swimmers are male.
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Thor AL Wayne | 31 | 30–34 | Male |
| 2 | Ang Zhing Vehn | 44 | 40–44 | Male |
G. Oman — 1 Swimmer
| No. | Swimmer Name | Age | Age Group | Gender |
| 1 | Khalid Mohammed Al Kulaibi | 46 | 45–49 | Male |
The championships were hosted by the Swimming Federation of India (SFI), with the Karnataka Swimming Association as the local organising partner, at the Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru from October 4–10. The event was promoted as a continental Masters competition featuring swimmers aged 25 and older from across Asia, Oceania and the Middle East.
Pre-event reporting identified nine participating countries: India, Sri Lanka, Iran, Thailand, Japan, China, Oman, Malaysia and South Korea. That is substantially fewer than the 53 nations referenced in the championship’s promotional material. Source: UNI India
Start Lists Show a Predominant Indian Field
The analysis was conducted using available heat lists. After removing repeated names, the review identified 1,130 individual swimmers.
These figures represent the unique names identified in the documents analysed, rather than a verified official final attendance count. The available documents did not provide a complete, independently verified list of every athlete who ultimately competed.
The analysis also found that some events had no foreign swimmers listed, while in some events fewer than five Indian swimmers were entered. Such entries can produce races with very limited international representation, even when the event is part of a continental championship.
The findings contrast with the international scope presented in the event’s promotional material, which listed 53 nations as part of the championship’s intended reach.
Questions About the Level of Competition
The limited international participation also prompted questions from some participants about the competitive experience in Bengaluru.
Some swimmers told Swimming By Sanuj that the championship did not feel as international as they had expected. A few described the competition as feeling lighter than a national-level meet, while others felt that the small fields in certain events increased the role of luck in determining medal positions.
Participants also pointed to winning times that they considered slow when compared with those recorded at the inaugural Asian Masters Swimming Championships in Nagoya, Japan, in 2018.
These are participants’ assessments, rather than an independently established conclusion about the overall standard of the championship. A meaningful comparison would need to account for the swimmers’ age groups, event distances, course conditions and the specific winning times recorded at both editions. The first Asian Masters Championships took place in Nagoya from July 11–16, 2018, under the then-applicable FINA Masters rules. Source: Japan Masters Swimming Association
Masters swimming includes a wide range of ages and ability levels, and slower winning times alone do not necessarily indicate poor competition. However, the depth of an event’s field and the number of countries represented can influence the experience athletes expect from an international championship.
Disqualifications Showed That Competition Rules Were Applied
The participation concerns were not necessarily a reflection of how the races themselves were officiated.
During the championships, swimmers were disqualified for infractions including early starts and incorrect finish touches, according to observations from the competition. The disqualifications indicated that race officials were applying technical rules during events.
Nevertheless, the application of competition rules and the international depth of the field are separate issues. Even when races are officiated according to the applicable Masters swimming regulations, a championship can still face questions about how widely it attracted international competitors.
A Continental Championship and the Question of International Participation
The Bengaluru championships brought together Masters swimmers across multiple age categories and provided an opportunity for Indian athletes to compete for Asian titles at home. Indian swimmers also recorded numerous podium finishes during the meet. Source: UNI India
However, the start-list analysis raises a question about the difference between the number of nations cited in the event’s promotional material and the number of countries that ultimately sent swimmers to compete.
With 1130 Indian swimmers and 71 foreign swimmers identified in the available documents, the analysed field was overwhelmingly domestic. For participants who had expected a broader international contest, the experience reportedly fell short of those expectations.
The Swimming Federation of India and the organisers should be asked to clarify the final number of participating countries and athletes, and whether the available start lists represent the complete field. Their response would help establish whether the analysed figures accurately reflect the championship’s final international participation.
The event’s long-term success will depend not only on hosting the competition, but also on attracting a broad international field that gives Masters swimmers the opportunity to compete against athletes from across the continent.
The analysis is not intended to undermine the achievements of medal winners or the efforts of participating Masters swimmers. Rather, it seeks to examine the level of international participation and competitiveness at the championship. Every swimmer’s performance deserves recognition, while questions about the event’s participation and organisation remain important for the future growth of Masters swimming.
