Tanvi Patri becomes first Indian woman to reach Youth Olympics badminton semifinals
The 15-year-old from Odisha defeated Thailand's Kakanik Kungkaew to enter the last four in Dakar.
Tanvi Patri became the first Indian woman to reach the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Wednesday, according to the Times of India. The 15-year-old from Odisha secured her place in the last four with a straight-game victory over Thailand's seventh seed Kakanik Kungkaew.
Patri, who trains at the Centre for Excellence in Bengaluru, won the women's singles quarterfinal 21-17, 21-13 in 39 minutes. She will face Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe in the semifinal.
The two players previously met at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, where Watanabe won 21-14, 21-10. A win in the semifinal would guarantee Patri at least a silver medal, making her the first Indian woman to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympics.
Patri joins a small group of Indian shuttlers to reach this stage, including HS Prannoy, who won silver in 2010, Lakshya Sen, who was runner-up in 2018, and Aditya Joshi, who reached the semifinals in 2014.
Earlier in the tournament, Patri topped Women's Singles Group F with three successive victories, including a 21-4, 21-12 win against Australia's Smrithi Adepu. She previously won the girls' singles U-17 title at the Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships in China.