15-year-old Tanvi Patri reached the Youth Olympics badminton semi-finals after beating Thailand’s Kungkaew Kakanik in Dakar on Wednesday, November 4. She won in straight games to move one victory away from a historic medal. Tanvi now faces Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe, hoping to become the first Indian girl to win one.
India's Tanvi Patri moved within one victory of a historic badminton medal at the Youth Olympics after reaching the girls' singles semi-finals with a straight-game win over Thailand's Kungkaew Kakanik in Dakar on Wednesday, November 4.
The third-seeded Indian overcame a challenge from seventh seed Kakanik, winning 21-17, 21-13 in 39 minutes. Tanvi has been in impressive form in Dakar, reaching the last four without dropping a game in the competition.
She will face Japan's second seed Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-finals later on Wednesday. The two have met once before, at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, where Tanvi lost 14-21, 10-21.
A victory over Watanabe would assure Tanvi of at least a silver medal and make her the first Indian girl to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympics.
Only three Indians have previously reached the badminton semi-finals at the Youth Olympics. HS Prannoy won silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen finished runner-up in Buenos Aires in 2018. Aditya Joshi reached the boys' singles semi-finals in 2014 but returned without a medal.
Tanvi's run in Dakar continues an encouraging season for the youngster. She reached the pre-quarter-finals of the World Junior Championships in Cairo last month and won the Pontianak International Challenge in Indonesia in August, days after finishing runner-up at the Singapore International Challenge.
However, the short turnaround between her quarter-final and semi-final could pose a challenge. Both matches are scheduled for Wednesday, leaving Tanvi with limited time to recover before facing the Japanese second seed.
Badminton scheduling at major multi-sport events has come under scrutiny recently. At the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September, singles players were required to play two matches on the same day, with several contests stretching past midnight.
PV Sindhu was among those affected, playing three matches in less than 24 hours before losing her quarter-final to China's Chen Yufei. The two-time Olympic medallist criticised the scheduling and the lack of adequate recovery time, while several other players also raised concerns.
WHO IS TANVI PATRI
Born in Balasore, Odisha, Tanvi, 15, began playing badminton when her family was living in China, where her father Rabinarayan worked as a software professional. She trained under Chinese coaches before the family returned to India during the Covid-19 pandemic. She joined the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru in 2022, where she continues to train. Tanvi first made a mark on the international circuit by winning the Asian Under-15 title in Chengdu in 2024. She added the Asian Under-17 crown at the same venue in September this year, becoming the first Indian to win both continental junior titles.
Meanwhile, India's challenge in the boys' singles ended after second seed Dev Ruparelia lost to China's Hong Tian Yue 22-24, 10-21 in 37 minutes in the quarter-finals.