Tanvi Patri Makes Youth Olympics Badminton Semifinals, First for India

By: Women Entrepreneurs Review Team | Thursday, 5 November 2026

Indian badminton player Tanvi Patri created history at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar on Wednesday by becoming the first Indian woman to secure a place in the badminton semifinals. The 15-year-old from Odisha achieved the milestone with a strong performance in the women's singles event.

Tanvi defeated Thailand's seventh-seeded Kakanik Kungkaew in straight games in the quarterfinals. The third-seeded Indian won 21-17, 21-13 in 39 minutes to advance to the last four of the competition.

Her victory placed her among a select group of Indian badminton players who have reached the semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games. However, Tanvi became the first female shuttler from India to reach this stage of the tournament.

Key Highlights:

• Tanvi became the first Indian woman to reach the badminton semifinals at the Youth Olympic Games
• The 15-year-old defeated Thailand's Kakanik Kungkaew 21-17, 21-13 in the quarterfinals
• Tanvi previously won the U-15 and U-17 titles at the Badminton Asia Championships

Before her achievement, only three Indian players had made it to the badminton semifinals. HS Prannoy won silver at the inaugural 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore, while Lakshya Sen secured silver at the 2018 edition in Buenos Aires. Aditya Joshi reached the boys' singles semifinals in 2014 but did not win a medal.

Tanvi, who is a trainee of the Centre in Bengaluru, is set to play in the semi-final against Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe. The Indian youngster will be aiming to rub salt into the wounds of her Japanese rival, after losing their only previous encounter at the Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand in 2024. Watanabe won that encounter 21-14, 21-10.

If she wins the semifinal, she will at least have a silver and will become the first Indian woman to grab a medal in badminton at the Youth Olympics. If she loses the next 4, she will still have a chance to win bronze.

In the Women's Singles Group F, Tanvi had earlier won three consecutive matches to make it to the knockout stage. Her last group game was against Smrithi Adepu of Australia, whom she beat 21-4, 21-12 in a winner-takes-all match.

The breakthrough at the Youth Olympics builds on Tanvi's impressive list of accomplishments. She had previously won the girls' singles U-17 title at the Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championship in Chengdu, China last year in the all India final.

She then went on to win the continental U-15 and U-17, becoming the first Indian shuttler to achieve both.

Now, the Odisha teenager has another opportunity to make history in Dakar. Winning a final spot in the tournament would not only bring her a medal but also another big achievement for Indian badminton at the Youth Olympic Games.