'At least I'm the first male swimmer': Assam's Tirthank Pegu on historic Youth Olympics medal

Assam's Tirthank Pegu has described his historic bronze medal at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games as a dream come true, crediting a year of dedicated preparation with his coach for the achievement.

The 17-year-old from Ramakrishna in Jorhat district became the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games after finishing third in the men's 200m butterfly event at the competition in Dakar, Senegal.

Pegu clocked 2:01.25 in the final to secure bronze. Egypt's Zain Ali won gold with a timing of 1:57.88, while Vietnam's Duong Van Hoang Quy claimed silver in 2:00.32.

Speaking during a media roundtable, Pegu said he had spent an entire year preparing specifically for the competition.

"Yeah, it's like it was my dream to win a medal in the Youth Olympics. My coach and I both worked for this particular competition the whole year. So I'm really feeling good right now, but I'm a little disappointed as well. But it's okay; at least I'm the first male swimmer right now," he said.

Pegu, who trains at the Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) in Ballari, Karnataka, also stressed that India's recent achievements in international swimming were the result of sustained efforts rather than sudden success.

Responding to a question about two Indian swimmers, Pegu and Dhinidhi Desinghu, winning medals at the Youth Olympics, he pointed to the contributions of previous generations of Indian swimmers.

He cited Desinghu's experience, noting that she had already established herself as a promising swimmer before the competition. He also acknowledged the role played by swimmers such as Sajan Prakash and Srihari Nataraj in creating opportunities and inspiring younger athletes.

"I would say it's not a sudden success. If you have heard of Dhinidhi, she's been the youngest Olympian in Paris. So she already was a good swimmer before this competition. And about me, I've been training for this competition, as I said, for a year," he said.

Pegu added that the achievements of earlier swimmers had helped create a pathway for the current generation, pointing specifically to Nataraj's appearance in the final at the 2018 Youth Olympic Games.

The Jorhat-born swimmer had entered the 200m butterfly final after topping the heats with a timing of 2:05.30. He is also a junior national record holder and had previously won silver in the men's 200m butterfly at the 2025 Asian Youth Games in Bahrain.

His bronze medal added to India's achievements in swimming at the Youth Olympics, with Dhinidhi Desinghu also securing bronze in the women's 100m and 200m freestyle events.

For Assam, Pegu's achievement marks another milestone at the Games. Boxer Shiva Thapa had become the first sportsperson from the state to win a Youth Olympic medal when he secured silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010.

Pegu's performance has now placed him among the country's leading young swimming talents, while making history as India's first male swimming medallist at the Youth Olympic Games.