Seventeen-year-old Tirthank Pegu from Jorhat, Assam, won bronze in the men's 200m butterfly at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, clocking 2:01.25 and becoming the first Indian male swimmer to win a Youth Olympics medal.
Egypt's Zain Ali won gold in 1:57.88 and Vietnam's Duong Van Hoang Quy took silver in 2:00.32. Pegu had topped the heats in 2:05.30 and had finished fourth in the 100m butterfly in 54.98 seconds earlier in the meet.
He dedicated the medal to his late father, Kunal Pegu, a moment that gave the achievement a personal meaning beyond the result.
A first for Indian swimming
No Indian male swimmer had won a Youth Olympics medal before Pegu's bronze. The Youth Olympics is the biggest global stage for young athletes, and a swimming medal there is a rare achievement for India.
Pegu trains at the Inspire Institute of Sport, and his coach Sandeep Sejwal said he had the potential to win a gold or silver medal as well. The comment suggests the bronze may be a step towards bigger results.
The final in detail
Pegu's time of 2:01.25 in the final was quicker than his heat time of 2:05.30, a sign that he rose to the occasion when it mattered. He finished behind two strong swimmers in Zain Ali and Duong Van Hoang Quy.
His fourth-place finish in the 100m butterfly earlier in the meet, in 54.98 seconds, showed he was already close to the medals before the 200m final.
What it means for the future
A Youth Olympics medal at 17 is a strong foundation for a senior career. Pegu's bronze puts him on the map as one of India's most promising young swimmers.
The medal also adds to India's swimming progress at the Dakar Games, where the sport has produced multiple medals for the country.
