Dhinidhi Desinghu Makes History: Second Youth Olympics Medal for Indian Swimmer
Swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu makes history as the second Indian athlete to win two medals in one Youth Olympics. Union Minister Mandaviya praises her.
Indian swimming has reached a new pinnacle at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu has etched her name in the history books by becoming only the second Indian athlete ever to secure two medals in a single edition of the competition.
The historic achievement was sealed on Friday, when Desinghu clinched a bronze medal in the women's 200m freestyle event. After dominating the heats with a time of 2:04.51, she pushed her limits in the final, clocking 2:02.28 to secure a place on the podium. She finished behind China's Chang Mohan, who took gold with 1:59.59, and Croatia's Ana Bobanović, with a time of 2:01.17.
Union Sports Minister Hails the Achievement
Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya took to X to celebrate the victory, posting: "Heartiest congratulations to Dhinidhi Desinghu on securing her second medal at the Youth Olympics Games 2026 with a Bronze in the Women's 200m Freestyle!"
A Week of Dominance in the Pool
This bronze was not an isolated success. Earlier on Monday, the Bengaluru-based swimmer made waves by winning India's first-ever swimming medal at the 2026 Youth Olympics with a bronze in the women's 100m freestyle. In that race, she set a national record of 56.27 seconds, finishing behind gold medalist Ana Bobanović of Croatia (55.89s) and silver medalist Alyssa Lawson of New Zealand (56.13s).
Other Indian Heroes in Dakar
India's success in the pool continued with Tirthank Pegu, who became the first Indian male swimmer to win a Youth Olympics medal. Pegu secured a bronze in the men's 200m butterfly, clocking 2:01.25. He had entered the final after finishing first in the heats with 2:05.30. The gold went to Egypt's Zain Ali (1:57.88) and silver to Vietnam's Duong Van Hoang Quy (2:00.32).
Beyond the Pool: Badminton, Wushu, and Judo
India's overall medal tally has been bolstered by other standout performances across various disciplines:
- Tanvi Patri: Became the first Indian women's singles badminton player to win a Youth Olympics silver medal after a hard-fought final against world junior champion Zhang Yi Xin.
- Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu: Secured a historic bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event with a total score of 18.039, marking India's first-ever wushu medal at the games.
- Khushbu Rajakbai Darjada: The Gujarat-based athlete from Somnath clinched silver in the women's -63kg judo event. This was her second international medal this year, following a bronze at the Asian Cadet Championships in Jordan. She also became the second Indian judoka to medal at the Youth Olympics, following Tababi Devi's silver in 2018.
With these stellar performances, India's total medal haul at the 2026 Youth Olympics stands at six medals: two silver and four bronze, with swimming contributing three of those medals.