Tirthank Pegu Creates History, Becomes First Indian Male Swimmer to Win Youth Olympics Medal

Guwahati: Tirthank Pegu has scripted history by becoming the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympic Games, clinching bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly event at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Senegal on 7^th November.

The 17-year-old swimmer clocked 2:01.25 in the final to secure third place and a podium finish, marking a historic achievement for Indian swimming. Egypt’s Zain Ali won the gold medal with a time of 1:57.88, while Vietnam’s Duong Van Hoang Quy claimed silver after finishing in 2:00.32.

Pegu had entered the final in impressive form, topping the overall heats standings with a timing of 2:05.30. His bronze medal also marked a strong comeback after he narrowly missed the podium in the men’s 100m butterfly, finishing fourth in 54.98 seconds, just 0.27 seconds behind the bronze medallist.

Congratulating the young swimmer,  the Chief Ministerof Assam Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma described the achievement as a moment of immense pride for the state, saying Pegu had made the nation shine on the global stage.

The Union Minister for Communications and Development of the North Eastern Region, Jyotiraditya M Scindia, also congratulated Pegu, highlighting the Northeast’s contribution to India’s growing sporting achievements.

Pegu, who hails from Ramakrishna in Jorhat, began swimming at the age of five and is a junior national record holder. He had earlier won silver in the 200m butterfly at the Asian Youth Games in Bahrain in 2025.

Notably, boxer Shiva Thapa was the first sportsperson from Assam to win a Youth Olympic Games medal, securing silver at the inaugural edition held in Singapore in 2010.

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