Tanvi Patri wins India's first Youth Olympic badminton silver for women
The 15-year-old shuttler narrowly lost the girls' singles final to China's Zhang Yi Xin in Dakar.
Tanvi Patri became the first Indian woman to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympic Games, securing a silver medal in the girls' singles on Thursday night in Dakar, Senegal. The 15-year-old lost the final to reigning world junior champion Zhang Yi Xin in an 82-minute contest, with scores reading 15-21, 21-13, 24-26.
According to reports from The Times of India and News18, Patri mounted a significant comeback in the deciding game after trailing 10-19. She saved six match points and earned three of her own before the match concluded.
The Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary stated that Patri's achievement is an extraordinary accomplishment and a moment of immense pride for India. The BAI noted that her performance reflects the potential of the country's young sporting generation.
Patri, an Odisha shuttler who trains at the Centre for Badminton Excellence (CBE) in Bengaluru, previously won the Asian U-17 and U-15 titles. Her father, Rabinarayan Patri, said that while the result was close, the most important thing was that she finished the tournament healthy.
The shuttler is scheduled to compete in several upcoming events, including tournaments in Indonesia, the Syed Modi International in Lucknow, the Guwahati Masters, the Odisha Masters, and the Senior National Championships.