Youth OlympicsAt just 15 years old, she has achieved a feat never before accomplished by any Indian athlete. 15-year-old badminton player Tanvi Patri has made history at the Youth Olympics. By reaching the women’s singles final, she has become the first Indian athlete to secure a medal at the Youth Olympics.
In the semifinal held on Wednesday in Dakar, Senegal, Tanvi defeated Japan’s second seed, Yujuno Watanabe, with a score of 21-14, 11-21, 21-19. She will now face China’s Yi Xin Zhang the reigning World Junior Champion in the gold medal match.
Defeat at the Asia Junior Championships
Earlier this year, Tanvi Patri faced China’s Yi Xin Zhang. In the quarter-finals of the Asia Junior Championships, the Chinese player defeated Tanvi 18-21, 16-21. Now, Tanvi will have a great opportunity to avenge that loss.
How Tanvi Won the Semifinal
Tanvi Patri is in spectacular form. She won the first game 21–14 against Japan’s Watanabe, but the Japanese shuttler made a remarkable comeback, winning the second game 21–11 to force a decider. The final game was equally tense, with both shuttlers locked in a fierce battle.
However, Tanvi maintained her composure during the critical moments, defeating Watanabe 21–19 to secure a memorable victory. This achievement by Tanvi adds another chapter to India’s growing presence in this competition.
HS Prannoy won a silver medal at the inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen finished as the runner-up in Buenos Aires in 2018. Aditya Joshi reached the men’s singles semifinals in 2014.
Tanvi’s father quit a high-paying job
Tanvi’s father left a lucrative job to support her aspirations. He was employed at a software company in China, earning a monthly salary of 6 lakh rupees; however, he gave up that position to help his daughter pursue a career as a badminton player.
He even arranged for her to be trained by coaches from China. Tanvi’s father, Rabinarayan, was also passionate about badminton he used to play during his college years though he was unable to turn his own interest into a professional career.
While working in China, he played badminton regularly. Tanvi began playing alongside him from the age of about seven, and now, she stands just one step away from winning a gold medal.
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