New Delhi, November 9, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
India’s historic Youth Olympic Games silver medallist Tanvi Patri has credited her early training in China and subsequent development at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru for shaping her game. The 15-year-old also revealed that illness restricted her preparations to just two days of practice before her campaign in Dakar.
Patri became the first Indian women’s singles player to win a silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games after losing to reigning world junior champion Zhang Yi Xin in a thrilling final in Dakar, Senegal, on November 5.
She saved six match points and had three opportunities to seal the gold before eventually going down 15-21, 21-13, 26-24 in a contest lasting one hour and 22 minutes. Her achievement followed individual silver medals won by HS Prannoy in 2010 and Lakshya Sen in 2018.
Speaking to IANS, Patri recalled that her badminton journey began in China, where her father worked with Nike China. She accompanied him to a club where he played and benefited from the coaching environment and emphasis on technique.
She moved back to India around 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic and trained in Odisha for approximately one-and-a-half years before joining the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru. She said the academy’s coaches helped improve her speed and supported her through multiple injuries, including knee, hamstring and back problems.
Patri’s preparations for the Youth Olympics were further affected by illness following the World Junior Championships in Egypt. She said she was still recovering from fever after returning to India and took a complete week’s rest before getting only two days of practice ahead of the competition.
Despite the limited preparation, she expressed satisfaction with her performance and hoped to do well in future tournaments.
Patri also spoke about the challenging conditions in Dakar, particularly the heat, humidity and lack of air-conditioning. However, she said adjusting to a different country did not pose any major difficulty, apart from the usual jet lag after international travel.
In the final, Patri recovered from an early deficit to take the opening game 21-15, using her punch tosses effectively and controlling the net. Zhang fought back to win the second game 21-13, with the drift from the far end affecting the Indian’s control over her clears.
The Chinese shuttler took a 19-10 lead in the deciding game through effective cross-court drops. Patri mounted a strong comeback, saving five match points and creating three opportunities to win the contest. However, Zhang eventually converted her sixth match point to secure the gold medal.
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