First Indian AIDA Depth Judge: Archana Sankaranarayanan

Indian freediver Archana Sankaranarayanan has been selected to officiate at the International Depth Competition in Panglao, Philippines, running from October 1 to 6, 2026. The appointment makes her the first Indian AIDA judge chosen for an international depth freediving event. She will work as an assistant judge.

It is a return to familiar water. Sankaranarayanan began competing at the same event in 2024, arriving as a first-time athlete and breaking the first two national records of her career. In 2025 she went on to set a 40-metre national record.

Building a national structure

This year she founded the Freediving Association of India (AIDA India), which gained AIDA National Observer status in March. She then assembled and selected the country's first official national team for the World Apnea Pool Championship in Budapest, where she was also appointed an assistant judge, becoming the first Indian AIDA judge to officiate at a freediving world championship.

The association describes itself as India's official national freediving body and an observing member of AIDA International, with the aim of running national competitions, helping athletes reach international events and developing talent to represent the country.

Indian athletes have been moving quickly too. In August, Adyut Dobhal broke the two-year-old 50-metre Free Immersion national record with 51 metres in the Philippines. Molchanovs instructor Mukesh Prakash matched that depth six days later in Indonesia, and on August 19 Bux Khurana pushed the record to 52 metres. Sankaranarayanan coached Prakash ahead of his competition, drawing on her experience at the same site where she had set her own 40-metre mark.

India's first AIDA competition

In November she is organising Namaste World Apnea India, billed as India's first AIDA freediving competition, in Bengaluru. Having faced the cost of travelling abroad to compete herself, she has added a competition scholarship that covers the full registration fee for selected athletes in genuine financial need.

Looking ahead, she said she wants to build a future in which Indian freedivers never wonder whether they belong, adding that there is no limit to how deep or how far they can go.

Why judges matter

Judges do more than confirm depth and time. At AIDA events they watch every surface protocol after a dive, and an athlete who cannot complete it cleanly is disqualified, a rule designed to catch loss of motor control and other signs of hypoxia. A growing pool of qualified judges is a basic requirement for any country that wants to run sanctioned competitions safely. Divers thinking about competing should first learn surface protocols and safety procedures with a certified instructor.