Youth Olympics 2026: Tanvi Patri scripts history by becoming first Indian woman to reach badminton final
(Courtesy :Â @tanvipatri/Instagram)
Tanvi joins HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen and Aditya Joshi as India’s only medallist in the competition
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Fifteen-year-old Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri made history on Wednesday, becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach the Youth Olympic Games final in women’s singles and assuring the first medal in this discipline for the country.
The young Indian produced a spirited performance to defeat Japan’s second seed, Yuzuno Watanabe, 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in a thrilling three-game semi-final that lasted 54 minutes.
The contest turned out to be a closely fought battle, with both players matching each other shot for shot and refusing to give away easy points. Tanvi started strongly to take the opening game 21-14, but Watanabe fought back in the second, winning it 21-11 to force the match into a decider.
With a place in the final at stake, the third game saw both players go neck and neck in an intense battle. Tanvi, however, held her nerve in the crucial moments and edged past her Japanese opponent 21-19 to seal a memorable victory and book her place in the gold medal match.
With this achievement, Tanvi has become the first Indian woman to reach the badminton final at the Youth Olympic Games, guaranteeing the country its first-ever women’s singles medal at the event.
Her run to the final marks another significant milestone for Indian badminton at the Youth Olympic Games. HS Prannoy won silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen finished runner-up in Buenos Aires in 2018. Aditya Joshi had reached the boys’ singles semi-finals in 2014.
Tanvi will now turn her attention to the final, where she will look to cap her historic campaign with a gold medal. The Indian will face Yi Xin Zhang of China in the final, who recently won gold at the World Junior Championships.
Their only previous meeting was at the Asia Junior Championships quarterfinal this year where Tanvi lost a close battle 18-21, 16-21.
Who is Tanvi Patri?
Tanvi is a 15-year-old Indian shuttler from Odisha who is a U17 Badminton Junior Asia Champion. She also clinched the U15 Asia title in 2024. Tanvi made history on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian female shuttler to reach the semi-finals and final at the Youth Olympics.
What significant record did Tanvi Patri set at Youth Olympics 2026?
Tanvi made history by becoming the first Indian badminton shuttler to reach the Youth Olympic Games final in women’s singles and assure a first medal in the category for the country.
Who did Tanvi Patri defeat to reach the women’s singles final at Youth Olympics 2026?
Tanvi defeated Yuzuno Watanabe of Japan, 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in a thrilling three-game semi-final that lasted 54 minutes.
Who will Tanvi Patri face in the women’s singles gold medal match at Youth Olympics 2026?
Tanvi will face China’s Yi Xin Zhang in the final.
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