Teen badminton sensation Tanvi Patri etched her name into the history books after becoming the first Indian female shuttler to reach the badminton final at the Youth Olympic Games
Young Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri made history on Wednesday after becoming the first Indian female athlete to reach the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games. She is the fourth Indian shuttler to achieve the feat, joining an elite list that includes HS Prannoy, Lakshya Sen, and Aditya Joshi, who have previously reached the Youth Olympics badminton semifinals.
Prannoy, Lakshya, and Aditya, however, have failed to clinch gold in their respective campaigns. 16-year-old Tanvi would have the monumental task of doing what any Indian shuttler has never done before.
Prannoy and Lakshya wrapped up their respective campaigns with silver medal finishes, while Aditya reached the boys’ singles semifinals but returned without a medal.
Who is Tanvi Patri?
Hailing from Odisha, Tanvi Patri is one of India’s fastest-rising badminton prodigies and is currently training at the Centre of Badminton Excellence in Bengaluru. Her passion for badminton developed during her time in China, where her father was posted for work in the IT sector.
More from Badminton NewsTanvi was also intrigued by roller skating before she shifted her entire focus to badminton.
Tanvi has also won the Asian U15 and U17 crowns, and a victory in the semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games in Senegal secured her a medal finish.
Tanvi pulls off major comeback win to seal final berth
The semifinal clash, however, wasn’t a cakewalk for Tanvi, as she had to dig deep in her arsenal to deliver a fighting comeback to seal a victory.
Tanvi made a dominant start against Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe, securing a clean 21-14 win in the first game. But her Japanese counterpart fought back valiantly, with the Indian shuttler losing the second game 11-21.
With the third game becoming a decider, Tanvi held on to her nerve to mount a comeback. While Yuzuno attempted her best to take control and had also gained rhythm, the Indian shuttler eventually prevailed with a 21-19 lead, sealing a major victory.
As Tanvi advanced to the summit clash, history could be made at the Youth Olympic Games if she is able to add a gold to her kitty.