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Tanvi Patri wins Youth Olympics badminton silver

Fifteen-year-old Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri became the first Indian woman to win a badminton singles silver at the Youth Olympics in Dakar.

By , Sports writer

· 3 min read

Badminton, general photo
Badminton (general photo, not from this event) Photo: moerschy / Pixabay, Pixabay Content License

Tanvi Patri lost the women's singles final to China's Zhang Yi Xin 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 after saving five match points. The match lasted one hour and 22 minutes.

Key takeaways

  • Tanvi Patri won silver in women's singles badminton at the Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar.
  • She became the first Indian woman to win a badminton singles medal at the Youth Olympics.
  • She lost the final to China's Zhang Yi Xin 15-21, 21-13, 26-24.
  • She saved five match points and fought back from 10-19 in the decider.
  • The match lasted one hour and 22 minutes.

Tanvi Patri has become the first Indian woman to win a badminton singles medal at the Youth Olympics. The 15-year-old secured silver at Dakar in Senegal after losing the women’s singles final to China’s Zhang Yi Xin. Lokmat Times reported that the match lasted one hour and 22 minutes and ended 15-21, 21-13, 26-24.

How the final unfolded

Zhang Yi Xin, the reigning world junior champion, won the gold medal. ETV Bharat reported that Zhang kicked off the opening game with a 5-0 lead, but Tanvi came up with a seven-point burst to tilt the contest in her favour.

She took an 11-5 lead at the interval using a combination of her defensive skills and attacking prowess. The Indian continued to dictate the rallies and took three points in a row from 18-15 to take the opening game 21-15.

The second and third games

Tanvi carried the momentum into the second game and took a 4-0 lead early. However, Zhang bounced back to level the score at 10-10. The Chinese then raced ahead and took a lead of 17-12. Zhang closed out the game at 21-13.

In the decider, Zhang had an 11-7 advantage at the interval and extended it to 19-10. Tanvi refused to give up. She bagged five points in a row to make it 15-19. The Chinese then got five match points, but Tanvi saved them all.

Zhang eventually won it 26-24 and wrapped up the match.

Tanvi’s path to the final

Tanvi started her group-stage campaign with a commanding 21-8, 21-12 victory over Mexico’s Sara Gonzalez. She then followed it up with another triumph over Australia’s Smrithi Adepu by a 21-4, 21-12 win. She next outplayed South Korea’s Jeong Yu Jang to advance into the knockout rounds. She defeated Thailand’s Kungkaew Kakanik 21-17, 21-13 in the quarterfinals and booked a spot in the semifinals.

Semifinal victory and history

In the women’s singles semifinal, Tanvi faced Japan’s Watanabe Yuzuno and came through a thrilling three-game encounter, winning 2-1 (21-14, 11-21, 21-19).

Tanvi was in complete control in the opening game, using the drift intelligently and maintaining consistency from both ends of the court to win it 21-14. The second game proved more challenging.

A few unforced errors and misjudged shots against the drift saw her lose control, eventually going down 11-21. The decider was a closely fought contest, with neither shuttler willing to give an inch.

Tanvi found it difficult to negotiate the drift in the second half, with several of her shots sailing beyond the baseline. However, she showed excellent tactical awareness, using cross-court placements to unsettle Watanabe.

The rally at 18-17, in particular, highlighted her ability to create openings with precise cross-court smashes. The Japanese shuttler continued to fight back, making the closing stages even more intense. However, Tanvi held her nerve when it mattered most.

She remained composed through the final two points before sealing the contest with a decisive smash.

Historic context

This historic silver medal places Tanvi among a select group of Indian shuttlers who have won individual silvers at the Youth Olympics. Before Tanvi, only HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen and Aditya Joshi had entered the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympics.

Prannoy clinched a silver medal at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya signed off as runner-up in Buenos Aires in 2018. Aditya reached the last four in the 2014 edition.

Reaction and what happens next

Union Sports Minister Mansukh Mandaviya lauded Tanvi’s achievement, calling it a moment of immense pride for the nation. Tanvi Patri ends her campaign at the Youth Olympics 2026 with a silver medal. No further match or event for her at these Games is listed in the sources.

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