India’s top junior badminton player, Tanvi Patri, showcased her dominance by securing a place in the U-15 girls singles final at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U15 junior championships held in Chengdu, China. Patri, the top seed in the U-15 girls category, faced a tough challenge in the opening game against Thailand’s Kungkaew Kakanik, the sixth seed. However, Patri eventually emerged victorious with a convincing 21-19, 21-10 win in a match that lasted just 31 minutes. She will now face the formidable second seed, Nguyen Thi Thu Huygen of Vietnam, who overcame China’s Liu Yu Tong in a hard-fought semi-final match that went down to the wire, ending 21-18, 17-21, 21-19.
India has a strong history in this tournament. In 2017, Samiya Imad Farooqui triumphed in the U-15 girls singles, and Tasnim Mir followed suit with a victory in the same category in 2019.
Unfortunately, there was a setback for Gnana Dattu TT in the U-17 boys singles. He fought valiantly against Indonesia’s Radithya Bayu Wardhana, ultimately losing in three games. Despite a strong start and a lead in the first game, Gnana Dattu faced a loss of momentum and needed a medical timeout during the match. His journey ended with a bronze medal.
In the previous edition of the championships, India achieved a gold medal in the boys’ U-15 singles category and a silver medal in the U-17 girls singles. These consistent results demonstrate India’s strong presence and commitment to the sport of badminton at the junior level.
