Tanvi Sharma settles for silver at World Junior Championships

Tanvi Sharma’s quest to bring home India’s first World Junior gold in 17 years fell short as she lost to Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak in straight games in the women’s singles final at the BWF World Junior Championships on Sunday. But her silver medal cements her place among the country’s rising badminton stars.

The 16-year-old followed in the footsteps of former world No.1 Saina Nehwal and Aparna Popat, becoming only the third Indian female shuttler to reach the final of the tournament. She went down 7-15, 12-15 to the second-seeded Thai, securing India’s first medal at the World Junior Championships since 2008.

“I was not comfortable. From the start, I made a lot of mistakes. In the second game, I played my strokes well but after 8-5, errors crept in. My coach told me to keep going, and I tried, but she was reading my game very well,” Tanvi said after the match.

The final began as a tight affair, with both players level in the early exchanges. Phichitpreechasak’s deceptive front-court returns allowed her to pull ahead 10-5, while Tanvi struggled with net shots and wide strokes. The Thai closed the first game 15-7 with powerful smashes and precise placement.

In the second game, Tanvi surged to a 6-1 lead with deep, accurate returns. But unforced errors allowed the Thai to fight back, leveling the score at 8-8. Phichitpreechasak then gained control with sharp cross-court winners, moving to 12-8 and eventually 13-9.

Tanvi showed resilience with clever net plays and long rallies, but the Thai sealed the gold with a final powerful smash, handing Tanvi the silver.

Her podium finish adds to India’s proud history at the World Junior Championships. Saina Nehwal had won gold in 2008 and silver in 2006, while Aparna Popat took silver in 1996, making Tanvi the latest young star to carry Indian women’s badminton onto the global stage.