New Delhi, July 28 -- Srihari Nataraj kept India's hopes alive for a second Commonwealth Games (CWG) medal after the two-time Olympian swimmer qualified for the 100m backstroke semifinals on Tuesday. The 25-years-old clocked 55.58 seconds to finish fifth in his Heat and 13th overall.

According to the CWG rules in swimming, the top 16 fastest swimmers from the preliminary stage will head towards the semifinals. Nataraj will be in action in the 100m backstroke semifinals later on the day, with an aim to make into the eight-man final.

Prasanta Karmakar remains the only Indian swimmer to have ever won a medal at the Commonwealth Games - a bronze in the 50m freestyle S9 para event at New Delhi 2010. Nataraj, whose timing at the 50m mark was ...