Teenager Dhinidhi Desinghu making golden splash at National Games 2023

Published at :November 7, 2023 at 10:24 AM

Modified at :January 14, 2024 at 12:59 AM

(Courtesy : National Games)

She secured seven gold medals in the competition.

Dhinidhi Desinghu is not your typical teenager. The 2010-born swimmer is known for her exceptional ability to follow instructions, rather than seeking out new experiences. According to her coach, she excels at listening and implementing guidance.

At just 13 years old, Dhinidhi describes herself as a complete introvert, saying, “Five years ago, if you had tried to speak to me, I wouldn’t have been able to talk to you.”

However, this young swimmer, who is the youngest Indian participant in the Hangzhou Asian Games, lets her remarkable underwater skills speak for her. She secured seven gold medals at the Campal Swimming Pool, positioning herself as a top contender for the Best Women Athlete award at the National Games 2023 in Goa.

Dhinidhi and her Karnataka teammate, Nina Venkatesh, entered the final day of swimming competition with five gold medals each, making it clear that the winner of the 100m freestyle event would hold the record for the most gold medals.

Dhinidhi said, “Frankly, I didn’t come here thinking of any of this. I was just happy that I am getting to swim nine events here as I had got to swim only two events in the last National Games in Gujarat. I was just focused on giving my best and knew I will win some races if I can do that.”

While Dhinidhi excelled in multiple events, she faced some challenges in the 100m butterfly and 200m butterfly categories, where she finished 7th and 4th, respectively. Her seven gold medals came from the 200m freestyle, 4×100 freestyle relay, 4×100 medley, 4×200 freestyle relay, 4×100 mixed relay, and 100m freestyle.

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Her coach at the Dolphin Aquatics Academy, Madhukumar BM, emphasized that meticulous preparation and discipline are the foundations of her success, allowing her to compete against older swimmers.

Dhinidhi’s journey into swimming wasn’t initially anticipated. Her parents, Desinghu and Jesitha Vijayan, enrolled her in swimming classes with the hope of helping their introverted daughter make friends. Over time, Dhinidhi overcame her initial fears and developed her swimming skills, impressing her coaches with her natural talent and strong kicks.

Despite initial challenges, including motion sickness and performance anxiety, Dhinidhi gradually gained confidence and began winning medals in various competitions. Her parents recognized her potential and shifted her to the Dolphin Academy for advanced training.

Dhinidhi’s participation in the Asian Games allowed her to meet and interact with other top Indian athletes, such as Neeraj Chopra and PV Sindhu. She now aims to make her mark in the Asian Age Group meet, which has been postponed to the next year. However, before that, she looks forward to taking a break and going back to school, which she hasn’t been able to do for the entire year.