India First Official Freediving Team Headed to Budapest World Championship

May 26, 2026

Overview

India will send its first official freediving team to the World Apnea Pool Championship in Budapest, Hungary, from 2 June 2026. The team has three athletes: Archana Thiagarajan, Akshay Thatte, and Vachan H U. They will represent India in this breath-hold underwater sport.

India’s Brave Underwater Athletes

Have you ever held your breath underwater? Now imagine doing it while swimming long distances or diving deep. That is freediving. It is a sport where athletes go underwater with no breathing equipment. They use only one breath of air. India is now sending its first official freediving team to an international championship. The World Apnea Pool Championship will be held in Budapest, Hungary, starting 2 June 2026. Three Indian athletes will compete. Their names are Archana Thiagarajan, Akshay Thatte, and Vachan H U. This is a proud moment for Indian sports.

What Is Freediving and Apnea Pool Events?

Freediving is a breath-hold underwater sport. It has two main types: pool disciplines and depth disciplines. Pool events are held in a swimming pool. Athletes swim as far as possible underwater on one breath. They can also do static apnea, which means lying face down in the water and holding breath for as long as possible. The World Apnea Pool Championship is an international competition. It is conducted under AIDA International. AIDA stands for the International Association for the Development of Apnea. Apnea means holding your breath. AIDA is the global body for competitive freediving.

The Indian Team for Budapest 2026

India will field its first official freediving team at the Budapest championship. The team has three athletes. Each one is a national record holder. They have trained hard for many years. They have competed in national and international events before. Now they will wear the Indian flag on their caps and represent the country together as a team. This is the first time India has an official team in this sport.

Archana Thiagarajan: The Pioneer

Archana Thiagarajan is the most experienced freediver in the team. She is an 11-time national record holder. She made history earlier. From 28 June to 2 July 2025, she became the first Indian to compete at a World Championship. That was the 34th AIDA Freediving World Championship in Wakayama, Japan. At that championship, she set four new national records across pool disciplines. In August 2025, she became the first Indian woman to cross the 40-metre mark in a competitive freediving event. She is a true pioneer for women in Indian freediving.

Akshay Thatte: The Instructor Trainer

Akshay Thatte is India’s first Freediving Instructor Trainer. That means he trains the people who teach freediving. He has deep knowledge of the sport and its safety rules. He is also a four-time national record holder. He has helped many Indian freedivers learn proper techniques. His presence in the team brings experience and leadership.

Vachan H U: The Advocate Athlete

Vachan H U is also known as Vachan Gowda. He is an advocate by profession. That means he is a lawyer. But his passion is freediving. He is a national record holder as well. He balances his legal career with his love for underwater sports. He shows that anyone can follow their dreams, even if they have a different day job.