Dhinidhi Desinghu Shines at Youth Olympics 2026 with Historic Medal Wins

Dhinidhi Desinghu has made headlines at the Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar by winning two medals, including a historic bronze in the women's 200 m freestyle. Her achievements mark a significant milestone for Indian swimming, as she becomes the second athlete from the country to secure multiple medals in a single edition of the Games. Alongside her, other Indian athletes have also excelled, contributing to the nation's growing medal tally. This article explores their remarkable performances and the impact on India's sports legacy.

By Narendra Chaudhary Nov 7, 2026, 14:54 IST

Dhinidhi Desinghu's Remarkable Achievement

On Friday, Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya praised swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu for her outstanding performance at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, where she earned her second medal. Desinghu made history by becoming the second Indian athlete to secure two medals in a single edition of the Youth Olympics, clinching a bronze in the women's 200 m freestyle swimming event. She finished with a time of 2:02.28, placing behind China's Chang Mohan (1:59.59) and Croatia's Ana Bobanović (2:01.17) after leading the heats with a time of 2:04.51.

Mandaviya expressed his congratulations on X, stating, "Heartiest congratulations to Dhinidhi Desinghu on securing her second medal at the Youth Olympic Games 2026 with a Bronze in the Women's 200m Freestyle!"

Swimming Triumphs at Dakar 2026

Earlier in the week, Desinghu achieved a historic milestone by winning India's first-ever swimming medal at the Youth Olympics, taking home bronze in the women's 100m freestyle. She set a national record with a time of 56.27 seconds, finishing behind Ana Bobanović, who won gold in 55.89 seconds, and New Zealand's Alyssa Lawson, who secured silver in 56.13 seconds.

In another remarkable feat, Tirthank Pegu earned a bronze medal in the men's 200 m butterfly event, clocking 2:01.25. He became the first Indian male swimmer to medal at the Youth Olympics, having qualified for the finals with a top time of 2:05.30. The gold medal was awarded to Egypt's Zain Ali with a time of 1:57.88, while Vietnam's Duong Van Hoang Quy took silver with 2:00.32.

Broader Indian Performance in Senegal

In a significant achievement, Tanvi Patri became the first Indian woman to win a silver medal in women's singles badminton at the Youth Olympics, narrowly losing to reigning world junior champion Zhang Yi Xin in a thrilling final on Thursday.

Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu made history by securing a bronze medal in the women’s changquan combined wushu event, achieving a combined score of 18.039, with 8.723 in gunshu and 9.316 in changquan, marking India's first-ever medal in wushu at the Youth Olympics.

Khushbu Rajakbai Darjada also shone, winning a silver medal in the women's -63kg judo event after a tough final against Germany's Jolina Reinhold. This was Khushbu's second international medal this year, following her bronze at the Asian Cadet Championships in Amman, Jordan.

Hailing from Somnath in Gujarat, Khushbu became the second Indian judoka to medal at the Youth Olympics, following Manipur’s Tababi Devi, who won silver in 2018. With these achievements, India's total medal count at the Youth Olympics now stands at six, comprising two silver and four bronze medals, with three of those medals coming from swimming.