Tanvi Patri Creates History With Silver Medal at Youth Olympics, Falls Just Short of Gold in Thrilling Final
India’s Tanvi Patri scripted a memorable chapter in Indian badminton history, becoming the first Indian woman shuttler to win an individual silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games after a heartbreaking defeat in the women’s singles final against China’s Zhang Yi Xin.
The 15-year-old Indian produced a spirited performance in a gripping final that lasted one hour and 22 minutes, eventually going down 21-15, 13-21, 24-26 against the reigning world junior champion on Thursday night.
Despite missing out on the gold medal by the narrowest of margins, Tanvi’s fighting spirit stood out as she saved six match points and created three opportunities to seal the title before Zhang finally prevailed in the deciding game.
Tanvi started cautiously but soon found her rhythm in the opening game, producing seven consecutive points to turn a 3-5 deficit into a 10-5 advantage. Her sharp punch tosses and impressive control at the net helped her take the first game 21-15.
She began the second game strongly with a 4-0 lead, but the court drift affected her control, allowing Zhang to fight back and level the contest with a 21-13 win.
The decider turned into a dramatic battle. Zhang opened up a commanding 19-10 lead with her trademark cross-court drops, but Tanvi refused to surrender. She fought her way back, saved multiple match points and even came close to completing a remarkable comeback. However, Zhang held her nerve to win 26-24.
Before Tanvi, HS Prannoy (2010) and Lakshya Sen (2018) were the only Indians to have won individual silver medals at the Youth Olympic Games.
Congratulating the youngster, Badminton Association of India General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said her achievement at just 15 was a moment of immense pride for the country.
Tanvi said the medal would motivate her to perform better in future competitions. She is now looking forward to competing at the International Challenge Tournament in Indonesia next year.