Sports

Odisha’s Tanvi Patri Wins India’s First Youth Olympic Badminton Medal

By Nitesh Dubey

At 15, Tanvi Patri of Odisha became the first Indian woman to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympic Games. She captured silver in the women’s singles event at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. Patri’s run was marked by composure and fighting spirit, highlighted by a dramatic comeback in the final against China’s reigning World Junior Champion Zhang Yi Xin. The final lasted 82 minutes and ended 15‑21, 21‑13, 24‑26. After losing the first game, Patri won the second 21‑13 to force a decider. In the third game she trailed 10‑19 but saved five consecutive match points, bringing the score to 24‑24. She earned three opportunities to win the gold but Zhang prevailed 26‑24. Patri’s performance is remembered for her determination to fight until the end.

Patri entered the tournament as the third seed and trained at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy. In the group stage she advanced strongly. In the quarterfinals she defeated Thailand’s seventh‑seeded Kakanik Kungkaew 21‑17, 21‑13 in 39 minutes, becoming the first Indian woman to reach a Youth Olympic badminton semifinal. In the semifinal she faced Japan’s second‑seeded Yuzuno Watanabe. Patri won the first game 21‑14, lost the second 21‑11, and then edged the deciding game 21‑19 to secure a place in the final, marking another first for an Indian woman at the Youth Olympics.

Patri’s silver adds to India’s growing legacy in badminton at the Youth Olympic Games. She joins H.S. Prannoy, who won silver in 2010, and Lakshya Sen, who won silver in 2018, as Indian badminton players to reach the podium at the event. Her achievement also represents a first for Indian women’s badminton at the tournament.