Asian Games 2014: Sandeep Sejwal gives India its first swimming medal in Incheon

Sandeep Sejwal with the bronze medal in the 50m breaststroke event

Incheon, Sep 26 (IANS) Swimmer Sandeep Sejwal gave India its maiden medal from the aquatics pool at the Incheon Games after he won the bronze in the men's 50 metre breaststroke at the Munhak Park Tae-hwan Aquatics Center here Friday.

Sejwal clocked 28.26 seconds. The gold went to Kazakh swimmer Dmitriy Balandin (27.78 secs) with a Games Record, while Japan's Yasuhiro Koseki (27.89 secs) took the silver.

Balandin broke the record of 27.80 secondss set by Zhi Xie of China in the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

Sejwal stormed into the final after finishing atop Heat 2. The 25-year-old Indian finished with a time of 28.25 seconds, 0.33 ahead of China's Xiang Ma, who also qualified for the finals.

Sejwal's qualifying time was the second fastest among the starters for the finals. Only Koseki registered a faster time than the Indian, finishing his respective Heat in 27.92 seconds.