‘He Had The Potential To Win Gold Or Silver’: Sandeep Sejwal On Tirthank Pegu’s Historic Youth Olympics Bronze

Indian swimming witnessed a landmark moment at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games as 17-year-old Tirthank Pegu announced his arrival on the international stage by securing a historic bronze medal in the men’s 200m butterfly.

Pegu became the first Indian male swimmer to win a medal at the Youth Olympics, achieving the breakthrough with an impressive third-place finish in the final. He clocked 2:01.25 to secure the bronze, finishing behind Egypt’s Zain Ali, who claimed gold in 1:57.88, and Vietnam’s Duong Van Hoang Quy, who took silver in 2:00.32.

The achievement marks a significant milestone for Indian swimming, a sport in which the country has traditionally struggled to establish itself among the leading international nations. Pegu’s performance has offered fresh encouragement and demonstrated that India’s next generation of swimmers could have the potential to compete on bigger stages.

However, behind the historic medal lies a journey of preparation, international exposure, disappointment and determination.

Speaking exclusively to myKhel, Pegu’s coach Sandeep Sejwal expressed happiness over the youngster’s achievement but admitted that he had expected an even bigger result from his ward.

“To be very honest, I was a little disappointed. He had the potential to win a gold or silver medal as well. However, this is India’s first-ever medal in swimming at the Youth Olympic Games, which makes it a great achievement. He has tremendous potential to win medals at bigger competitions in the future, and this is a great platform for him to build on.”

Sejwal’s assessment reflects the expectations surrounding the young swimmer. While the bronze has already secured Pegu a place in Indian sporting history, his coach believes the youngster possesses the ability to achieve considerably more in the years ahead.

Pegu’s success in Dakar was not an overnight achievement. The Assam-born swimmer had been building towards this opportunity through a carefully planned preparation programme that included valuable international exposure.

His preparations gained momentum after an encouraging performance at the Singapore National Age Group Swimming Championships in March. Pegu clocked a personal best of 2:00.96 in the 200m butterfly to claim bronze, improving significantly on his previous best of 2:02.56.

Following that performance, the youngster travelled to Spain for a three-week high-altitude training camp before moving to Scotland for another three weeks of preparation. His European training programme also included working alongside experienced Indian swimmer Sajan Prakash.

The eight-week stint was designed to expose Pegu to a different training environment and help him understand the demands of competing at the highest level.

Explaining the thinking behind the overseas preparation, Sejwal told myKhel:

“Our main objective was to give him international exposure, and things went well for him. Everything we did there was part of our preparations for the Youth Olympic Games. He had a productive eight-week training stint in Europe with Sajan Prakash, which helped him gain valuable experience and develop further as a swimmer.”

The European experience appears to have been an important stepping stone in Pegu’s development. Training in a competitive international environment gave him an opportunity to learn, adapt and prepare himself for the challenges awaiting him in Dakar.

Pegu’s Youth Olympics campaign was not without its share of heartbreak.

Earlier in the competition, the 17-year-old narrowly missed out on a podium finish in the men’s 100m butterfly, ending the race in fourth place with a timing of 54.98 seconds.

For a young athlete competing at such a prestigious event, missing a medal by such a narrow margin could have been difficult to overcome. However, Pegu managed to put that disappointment behind him and return with a stronger performance in his preferred event.

The five-day gap between the two competitions proved particularly important in helping him recover mentally and physically.

Sejwal explained how his ward responded after the setback:

“Fortunately, he had a five-day gap between the two events. The first two days were quite difficult for him, but after that, Tirthank trained well and remained focused. The 200m butterfly is also his main event, so he was particularly prepared for it.”

The coach’s words highlight an important aspect of Pegu’s achievement. Beyond his physical abilities, the youngster demonstrated the composure required to recover from disappointment and deliver when another opportunity arrived.

Interestingly, Pegu’s bronze-medal-winning timing of 2:01.25 was slower than the personal best of 2:00.96 he had registered in Singapore earlier this year.

Nevertheless, the significance of his Dakar performance goes far beyond the clock. Winning a medal at a major international multi-sport event provides invaluable experience, confidence and motivation for a young athlete.

Sejwal also underlined the importance of competing at an event of this stature, particularly after learning that Pegu had secured his place in the Indian contingent.

“Winning a medal on such a prestigious stage makes this achievement even more special. As soon as we learned that Tirthank had been selected for the Youth Olympic Games, we immediately began his training and preparations.”

His statement reflects the seriousness with which the coaching team approached the assignment and the importance attached to making the most of the opportunity.

For Indian swimming, Pegu’s bronze is more than just another medal on the country’s Youth Olympics tally. It is a breakthrough that could inspire a new generation to dream beyond national competitions and aim for international recognition.

The 17-year-old has already shown that he can respond to setbacks, improve through international exposure and deliver on a major occasion.

The next challenge will be to convert this promising beginning into consistent performances at senior international competitions. If his development continues in the right direction, Dakar could eventually be remembered not simply as the place where Tirthank Pegu won a historic bronze, but as the starting point of a much bigger journey in Indian swimming.