Bengaluru teen Dhinidhi Desinghu set to make waves as India's Youngest Olympian at Paris 2024
Paris: Dhinidhi Desinghu, a 14-year-old budding Indian swimmer, is set to represent India at the upcoming Olympics in Paris, competing in the women’s 200m freestyle. As the youngest member of the Indian contingent, Dhinidhi’s journey is an inspiring story of overcoming her initial fear of water to participating in various international swimming competitions.
“But I didn’t like the water, I didn’t want to get in. I couldn’t get my feet into the pool, I couldn’t get my head inside. It was a struggle,” Dhinidhi told The Indian Express. Her journey began when her parents learned how to swim before her to help her feel at ease.
Although she got comfortable in the water, Dhinidhi initially had difficulties in handling the pressure, her mother Jesitha shared with the Indian Express. However, things changed for the better at a state-level open meeting in Mangaluru. Dhinidhi expressed fear and reluctance to swim. Jesitha motivated her to at least see the pool, after which Dhinidhi agreed to compete. She bagged gold and overcame issues with anxiety before competitions, Jesitha recalled.
Dhinidhi shed light upon her habit of writing a diary where she notes everything about her workout, the timing she strives to achieve, her optimal practice times, and national records, among others. Dhinidhi adds: “I write all of it down so that in case I want to know what I have to aim for, I know how far I am. For me, setting goals is a little better because if I have something to work towards, it makes me realise why I am doing all this.”
Along with maintaining a diary, she also has a blog where she shares her journey and experiences, hoping it might help someone else to overcome issues that she faced as a child.
Dhinidhi trains at Dolphin Aquatics in Bengaluru, headed by Dronacharya awardee Nihar Ameen, and is coached by Madhu Kumar. The youngster qualified for the women’s 200m freestyle on a universality quota and will compete alongside Indian swimming veteran Srihari Natara. She holds the record of being the youngest female swimmer to win seven gold medals at the National Games. Additionally, she holds a national record in the women’s 200m freestyle and has participated in the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games.
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Monkey hugs Shashi Tharoor, dozes off on his lap in heartwarming encounter
New Delhi, Dec 4: Shashi Tharoor on Wednesday shared an "extraordinary experience" at his home when a monkey ran towards him, hugged him and after being treated to a couple of bananas, rested his head on the Congress MP's chest and dozed off.
Tharoor put out pictures from this unusual encounter on X and went on to narrate the incident that left many users of the platform amused.
"Had an extraordinary experience today. While I was sitting in the garden, reading my morning newspapers, a monkey wandered in, headed straight for me and parked himself on my lap. He hungrily ate a couple of bananas we offered him, hugged me and proceeded to rest his head on my chest and dozed off," the Congress leader said on X.
"I gently began to get up, he leapt off and loped away," Tharoor added.
He said reverence for wildlife is ingrained in him and though he was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite which would have necessitated rabies shots, he stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening.
"I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was entirely peaceful and gentle," Tharoor said.
In the photographs shared by Tharoor, the monkey could be seen nestled in his lap, being fed bananas and then dozing off.
Tharoor is seen calmly reading the newspaper as the monkey rests on his lap.
Reacting to the post, one X user said, "Probably you got the blessings of Hanumaan ji. I zoomed all the pictures to find out which newspaper the bestest Member of Parliament was reading."
Another person wrote, "What a beautiful encounter with nature! Moments like these remind us of the deep, unspoken connection we share with other beings. That monkey’s trust in you speaks volumes about your aura of kindness. Truly, experiences like these make us pause and appreciate the simplicity and warmth of life beyond words."
Reverence for wildlife is ingrained in us, so though i was a bit concerned about the risk of a monkey-bite (which would have necessitated rabies shots), I stayed calm and welcomed his presence as non-threatening. I am gratified that my faith was borne out and our encounter was… pic.twitter.com/thT1ep0Cc9
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) December 4, 2024
