India endured a difficult day at the Commonwealth Games 2026 on Saturday, with setbacks in both the pool and on the wheelchair basketball court. In swimming, Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra failed to qualify for the men’s 400m freestyle final after finishing outside the top positions in the heats at the Tollcross Swimming Centre. In wheelchair women’s 3×3 basketball, India were handed a heavy 1-16 defeat by Wales in their Group B match.
The results left India searching for a response across two events, with the swimmers falling short of a place in the medal round and the basketball side now needing improved performances in their remaining group-stage fixtures to keep their campaign alive.
400m freestyle heats: Shashikumar and Nehra fall short
Indian swimmers Dhakshan Shashikumar and Aryan Nehra were unable to progress to the final of the 400m freestyle. Shashikumar clocked 3:58.09s and Nehra finished in 4:00.26s, with the pair ending 15th and 16th respectively among the 27 swimmers who competed in the heats.
The heats were held at the Tollcross Swimming Centre, where Shashikumar competed in heat 3 and Nehra in heat 4. Shashikumar showed promise through the early stages of his race, moving into seventh position at the halfway mark. However, he could not do enough over the second half to clear his heat and secure a spot in the final.
Nehra’s race proved more difficult from the outset. In heat 4, he was placed last at the halfway stage and ultimately finished in the same position by the end of the swim, leaving him outside qualification range.
With both swimmers missing out, India will have to look elsewhere for a breakthrough in the swimming programme, while Shashikumar and Nehra will reflect on races that did not produce the required finishing positions to advance.
Key heat details
Shashikumar’s time of 3:58.09s placed him 15th overall, while Nehra’s 4:00.26s placed him 16th overall in the 400m freestyle heats. The two Indians were separated by just over two seconds, but both remained outside the final qualification places from a field of 27 swimmers.
Wheelchair women’s 3×3: India beaten 1-16 by Wales in Group B
India’s wheelchair women’s 3×3 basketball team suffered a one-sided defeat against Wales, losing 1-16 in their Group B match on Saturday. Wales controlled the contest from start to finish, with India unable to match their intensity and scoring efficiency.
India fell behind early and could not close the gap as Wales continued to dominate. The Indian side struggled in attack, converting only one of their 12 scoring attempts, a figure that underlined the difficulty they had in finding consistent scoring opportunities.
The defeat leaves India needing a turnaround in their remaining group-stage fixtures. With group matches still to come, the focus will now shift to bouncing back quickly to keep their campaign alive in the competition.
Match snapshot
Wales won 16-1 in the Group B meeting, as India managed just one successful conversion from 12 attempts and were unable to reduce the deficit after falling behind early.
