Rohit Benediction

Some Lesser Known Facts About Rohit Benediction

• Rohit Benediction hails from Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

• Rohit was born with a birth defect of a broken thigh bone, and as per his doctor’s advice, he took up swimming for physical fitness. In an interview, Rohit mentioned that the doctor has also advised him not to play cricket and football.

• In 2019, he started swimming professionally at the district and state levels.

• Initially, Rohit was not good at swimming and often finished outside the top 3 in competitions, and had almost given up on the sport. However, his mother convinced him to give it one last shot at the 2019 School Games Federation of India nationals.

• On the opening day of the 2019 School Games Federation, he came fifth in the 50m fly event. After this game, he set his mind to give up swimming. However, in the next 100 m breaststroke, he came first. That win changed his mind, and he decided to continue swimming.

• In 2021, he enrolled at Sri Sivasubramaniya Nadar College of Engineering, Chennai, for his civil engineering course and simultaneously joined Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru to train under coach Nihar Ameen.

• In 2022, Rohit won his first individual gold at the Khelo India University Games 2022, where he established his preference for the 50m butterfly event.

• In 2023, at the Senior State Aquatic Championship in Tamil Nadu, Rohit set new records in the 50m butterfly stroke with a time of 24.84 seconds and in the 100m freestyle stroke with a time of 55.83 seconds.

• In January 2025, at the 38th National Games in Uttarakhand, he won a gold medal, defeating Olympian Sajan Prakash.

• In June 2025, Rohit broke Virdhawal Khade’s 100m butterfly record (52.79 seconds) at the National Aquatics Championships in Bhubaneswar with a time of 52.57 seconds.

• In July 2025, at the 2025 World University Games in Rhine-Ruhr, Germany, he created history and became the first Indian male swimmer to complete the 50 m butterfly under 24 seconds and set a new national record with a time of 23.96 seconds.

• At the World University Games, he was the only Indian male swimmer to qualify beyond the heats on the first day. His outstanding performance earned him a “B” qualifying time for the upcoming World Championship in Singapore, scheduled in October 2025.

• On October 2, 2025, during the 11th Asian Aquatic Championship in Ahmedabad, Rohit Benediction won a silver medal in the men’s 50 m butterfly event. He achieved a remarkable time of 23.89 seconds, setting a new national record by breaking his own previous record of 23.96 seconds.

  

• In the same championship, he won a bronze medal in the men’s 100 m freestyle with a time of 49.69 seconds.

• As of October 2025, Rohit has won a total of five medals at International championships.