Bhubaneswar: Odisha’s star badminton player Tanvi Patri has created history at the international stage. Tanvi has become the first Indian female shuttler to make it to the final of the Youth Olympic Games.
The ace shuttler sealed her spot in the summit clash of the Dakar Youth Olympics 2026 with a gritty win over Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe in the last-four encounter. In a 3-game thriller, Tanvi prevailed 21-14, 11-21, 21-19. After dominating the opener, Tanvi went down in the second game.
However, she held her nerves in the decider and edged out her opponent 21-19 to storm into the final.She will face China’s Zhang Yi Xin in the final for the gold medal. The match will be played tonight at 11 PM IST.
Leader of Opposition Naveen Patnaik, taking to his X handle, wrote: “Congratulate #Odisha’s promising young shuttler #TanviPatri on scripting history by becoming the first Indian badminton player to reach the Youth Olympic Games final in women’s singles. May she win the final match and bring laurels for India. Best wishes.”
