India’s 15-year-old badminton sensation Tanvi Patri has scripted history at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, becoming the first Indian woman to secure a silver medal in the badminton singles event.
Tanvi fought a thrilling battle against China’s reigning world junior champion Zhang Yi Xin in Thursday’s gold medal match. Despite a remarkable comeback, the Indian shuttler narrowly missed out on the title, losing 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 in a contest lasting one hour and 22 minutes.
After losing the opening game, Tanvi bounced back strongly to take the second and force a decider. Zhang initially dominated the final game, building a 19-10 advantage. However, the 15-year-old displayed tremendous determination, fought her way back and saved six match points. Tanvi also had three opportunities to win the title but eventually lost the deciding game 26-24.
With this achievement, Tanvi joins the list of Indian shuttlers who have won individual silver medals at the Youth Olympics, following HS Prannoy in 2010 and Lakshya Sen in 2018.
The Badminton Association of India congratulated Tanvi, praising her fighting spirit and calling her achievement a proud moment for the country.
