R Madhavan’s son Vedaant says Indians are ‘genetically gifted,’ but our diet holds us back

R Madhavan's son, Vedaant Madhavan, reflects on Indian athletic potential and shares his new training routine (Image Credit: Instagram)

Indian cine-star R Madhavan's son, Vedaant Madhavan, is ready to lead India's 12-member swimming team at the 2026 Asian Games alongside two-time Olympians Srihari Nataraj and Sajan Prakash, in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.

Reflecting on his training and view on India’s athletic potential, Vedaant Madhavan candidly shared that Indians are very talented and ‘genetically gifted.’ However, he emphasised that it is the diet that holds Indian athletes back. However, it can be fixed with a few changes.

What is holding Indian athletes back? Vedaant Madhavan shares his viewpoint

“Indians have a lot of talent. Genetically, we're really gifted. So, if we can fix our diet, discipline, and motivation, we can be really good and serious athletes,” he said while speaking to PTI, before highlighting what the main hindering factor is.“The main thing that's holding us back, I would say, is the diet. Our bodies have evolved to where we store a lot more fat because of past events that have affected this,” he continued.He added that a few changes can go a long way, like adding protein. “So, if we start eating more protein and taking better care of our diet, I feel like we can achieve a lot more from our genetic group,” he emphasised.

Vedaant Madhavan believes mindset plays a major role in an athlete's life

Further, during the conversation, he added that a strong mindset is crucial to success.

“I feel like 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.”He added, “I feel like that's the kind of mindset you need to have. If you shoot for the stars, you land on the moon. So, that's the kind of mindset I try to keep, and yeah, it's very important to have a really strong and good mindset.”

Vedaant Madhavan reflects on his new training routine, pushing himself outside his comfort zone

Vedaant is leaving no stone unturned in his training. He is going the extra mile and trying new techniques.

He shared, “I've actually been training differently for the past few months. As you may know, I'm a long-distance specialist, but I'll be swimming the 200m freestyle at the Asian Games, which is outside my comfort zone.”He added, “The past few months, I've been really focusing on weight training and getting my strength so I can prepare for the relay and the 200m freestyle. So, I've taken a whole new approach. One of my weakest points was my legs and my kick, so I've been really honing in and working on my kick, my legs, and my ankle flexibility so they can improve.

Overall, my stroke is looking a lot better and faster.”“That's a positive. The preparation has been really good. We have been training under a new coach called Coach Sean Kelly, and he's been really good. We're taking this new approach to the camp, and hopefully it works out,” he reflected.On a concluding note, Vedaant said everyone on the team is enthusiastic and optimistic. The team is now more like a family, and everyone is working hard and pushing each other.