Sports

India’s Dhinidhi Desinghu Wins First Youth Olympic Medal in Swimming

By Jyotirmoy Halder

India’s 16‑year‑old swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu made history at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, by becoming the first Indian female swimmer to win a medal at the event. She earned bronze in the women’s 100‑metre freestyle with a time of 56.27 seconds. Gold went to Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic, who finished in 55.89 seconds, and silver to New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson, who swam 56.13 seconds. Desinghu had earlier become the first Indian female swimmer to reach a Youth Olympic final after posting 56.80 seconds in the heats, the third‑fastest overall time. Her coach, Nihar Ameen, praised her hard work, noting that she has broken the national record three times this year. “She has been working really hard. This year, she has broken the national record three times. She is in form. She has another shot at a medal in the 200m freestyle event. In fact, she has a better chance of winning another medal there,” he said. Ameen also highlighted her mental toughness and experience, mentioning that Desinghu already competed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and was the youngest member of India’s contingent there. He expressed hope that she would win another medal in the 200‑metre freestyle at Dakar. In other Indian news, 15‑year‑old Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won her round‑of‑16 bout in the women’s 63‑kg judo event, defeating Guinea’s Mamaissata Camara 1‑0 by a yuko, while Camara received a shido penalty for a rule infringement.