Khelo India 2022: Not just a star kid, but a national record breaker swimmer Vedaant Madhavan loves taking challenges

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Vedaant Madhavan is a chip off the old block. He is soft-spoken, down to earth and friendly. But he looks determined, his reflexes are quick and his answers are short and meaningful.

Son of popular Indian actor R Madhavan, Vedaant, 17, is in Bhopal to take part in swimming contest at the ongoing Khelo India Youth Games 2022. In an interview with Free Press, he spoke about himself and the status of swimming in the country.

Vedaant Madhavan is a national taekwondo player, basketball player and he has been creating waves in junior swimming events for a while now. He rewrote national record in 2022 in 1500-metre freestyle event at 48th Junior National Aquatic Championships.

When asked why people do not follow swimming as much as other sports, Vedaant replied, "Swimming should be acknowledged more. It is one of the hardest sports to train in. We all should give it viewership it deserves."

When asked about his plans after KIYG 2022, he said, "I am focused on performing well in the senior nationals so that I can qualify for the youth Commonwealth Games. And yeah, like every athlete, my bigger motive is to win an Olympic medal for my country."

Leading the pack with a good pace and an efficient stroke, Vedaant clocked 16:01.73 to erase MP swimmer Advait Page's record of 16:06.43 seconds, which was created in 2017.

In 2022, Vedaant’s career graph took a major step forward when he bagged two international medals for India in Danish Open tournament. He won gold medal in 800 m freestyle and a silver medal in 1500m.

‘We’re spiritual’

Vedaant’s mother Sarita Birje was present at Prakash Taran Pushkar to cheer her son. "Vedaant is part of every puja we do at home. My husband and I are spiritual and that reflects on my son as well."

When asked why his son doesn’t have a bodyguard and manager like other star kids, she said, "We want him to stay grounded. My husband doesn’t have a bodyguard. We want to treat our son like an ordinary child."