Vedaant Madhavan is entering a crucial phase of his swimming career as he prepares to represent India at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan. The son of actor R Madhavan has been training in Dubai for the past five years after his family moved there during the pandemic to provide him with better opportunities to pursue swimming professionally.
The Asian Games will be Vedaant Madhavan’s biggest competition yet. Despite being the son of a popular actor, the young swimmer says public attention is not what drives him. Instead, his focus remains on performing well for himself and representing his country.
Vedaant Madhavan is not chasing the spotlight
Speaking to PTI, Vedaant Madhavan said his priority is to perform in the pool rather than seek attention outside it. He believes the visibility that comes with success is simply a result of performance.
“I’m not looking to be in the spotlight. I’m just looking to do good for myself and my country as a swimmer,” claimed the young swimmer. “If you do good, you’ll be in the spotlight. If you don’t do good, you’re not. So, it does not matter who you are,” he added in the interview.
As he prepares for the Asian Games, Vedaant is also drawing confidence from his belief in his own abilities. He has adopted an ambitious mindset ahead of the competition.
“If you shoot for the stars, you land on the moon,” is the mantra Vedaant Madhavan is swearing by, heading into Asian Games. “I feel if you want to succeed in life, you have to be kind of egotistical, where in your mind, it’s already fixed, and you know that you’re going to win, no matter what,” Vedaant told the agency.
Vedaant Madhavan opens up about handling pressure
The young swimmer understands the expectations that come with representing a country with a huge population. He also acknowledges that being R Madhavan’s son could bring additional attention, but says his training has taught him to keep external pressure away from his performance.
“There’s always a chip on your shoulder no matter who you are because we’re a country of almost 1 billion people. Everyone’s watching, so there’s always a chip on your shoulder. Of course, it being me might be a little bit more pressure, but I don’t think about it. We’re trained in a specific way where pressure shouldn’t affect us. And when we go to the pool, it’s just us in the water and nothing else,” said Vedaant.
Indian swimming contingent grows stronger together
Vedaant also spoke about the challenges faced by the Indian swimming contingent during its preparations. According to him, difficult moments at the training camp eventually helped the swimmers develop a stronger bond.
“We’re all like brothers. There were a lot of issues during the camp, but what they say about issues is that issues just end up bringing people closer together. So, I think we’ve all grown as individuals as well as a team, and our morale cannot be higher. We’re all very excited and optimistic, and we know that we’re just going to go to Japan and kill it,” he added.
Vedaant believes the unity within the team has given the contingent additional confidence ahead of the Asian Games. He said the swimmers are heading into the competition with high morale and optimism.
Vedaant Madhavan says India has immense sporting talent
Vedaant also spoke about India’s potential to produce world-class athletes. He believes the country already has significant sporting talent, but better discipline, motivation and nutrition could help athletes reach another level.
“Indians have a lot of talent. Genetically, we’re really gifted. So, if we can fix our diet, our discipline, our motivation, then we can be some really good and serious athletes. The main thing that’s holding us back, I would say, is the diet,” argued Vedaant.
R Madhavan continues his film career
While Vedaant Madhavan prepares for his swimming assignment, R Madhavan continues to remain active in the film industry. The actor was last seen in ‘G.D.N’, which received positive reviews. His previous film, ‘Dhuandhar’, also emerged as a superhit.
