Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s young swimming talent Aadvika Utkal has brought laurels to the state and the country with an outstanding performance at the 3rd Asian Open School Aquatic Championship 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
The eight-year-old student of DN Wisdom Tree Global School, Bhubaneswar, represented India at the international championship held at the Assumption University Aquatic Center on August 29 and 30.
Competing against athletes from 14 countries, with more than 5,000 athlete entries, Aadvika emerged as the Group Champion in the Under-8 girls category, winning an impressive five gold medals and two silver medals.
She also set three new championship records:
- 50m Freestyle: 33.10 seconds
- 25m Freestyle: 15.58 seconds
- 25m Butterfly: 16.58 seconds
Aadvika also won gold in the 100m Individual Medley with a timing of 1:32.21 and secured silver in the 50m Butterfly with a timing of 38.66 seconds.
She was reportedly the only girl from Odisha selected for the prestigious championship and became the first girl from the state to set a championship record at an international aquatic event.
Aadvika trains under private coach Bulu Beriha and high-performance coach Binit Pradhan of IIS JSW, Kalinga Stadium, Bhubaneswar.
Her remarkable performance has highlighted the growing pool of young sporting talent in Odisha and the state’s increasing presence on the international sporting stage.
-OdishaAge
