"Sometimes I miss the fun kids my age have" - India's youngest athlete at Paris Olympics 2024 Dhinidhi Desinghu
Life is not always the same for every teenager. At an age when a kid usually enjoys with his or her friends and studies for the school examinations, Dhinidhi Desinghu will be flying off to France as a part of the Indian swimming contingent at the Paris Olympics 2024.
But why is she being selected to represent India at such a grand stage? Well, no Indian swimmer could achieve the OQT (Olympic Qualification Time) and as a result the Indian contingent had to send their swimmers through the University quota. Hence, Desinghu along with Srihari Nataraj, will be traveling to the French capital this month.
Notably, Dhinindhi Desinghu will take part in the 200m freestyle event while Nataraj will participate in the 100m backstroke. The 14-year-old is one of the youngest candidates to ever represent India at the Summer Games. Hailing from Bengaluru, she is currently in the ninth standard.
In a recent interview with PTI Bhasha, Desinghu opened up about her life. She said:
"Sometimes I miss the fun generally kids of my age have. I do not go out much with friends and feel lonely. But then I wanted to swim and I wanted to go to the Olympics.
"I am the one who chose this path for me. With that comes a lot of sacrifices but I do feel different, extraordinary and proud. At 14, I am going to the Olympics, so all the sacrifices are worth it," she added.
Desinghu, at 14, is the youngest Indian athlete who'll be partaking in the Paris Games. She shared her excitement about it as well:
"I knew that I had a chance (of making the Olympics) because I have been working really very hard but it was surprising that I got this chance so early in my career. Being the youngest one in the Indian contingent is a big honor. I am super excited to be a part of the Indian Olympic contingent as I will get a chance to meet some of the greatest athletes."
Dhinidhi Desinghu eager to meet her idol
Desinghu worships Katie Ledecky, who is a seven-time Olympic gold medalist. Regarding a potential meeting with her idol in Paris, she said:
"I made a greeting card last year for her. I used to think that whenever I get a chance to meet her, I will give this to her. I looked up to her from a very young age and luckily, I got this chance. Hopefully I can give it to her in Paris. I will be on the seventh heaven if I get a chance to even see her."