In a historic achievement, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma has become the first Indian girl to win a singles medal at the Badminton World Federation (BWF) World Junior Championships since 2008. She secured her place in the last four of the competition after defeating Japan’s Saki Matsumoto in an intense quarter-final match on Friday. Notably, the ongoing tournament is being held in Guwahati.
First Indian since Saina Nehwal with this feat
Tanvi, who is seeded first in the tournament, won her quarter-final match against Matsumoto 13-15, 15-9, 15-10. The game lasted for a total of 46 minutes and was a nail-biter till the end. Tanvi started off strong in the first game, taking a 10-6 lead. However, she made some unforced errors that allowed Matsumoto to take the opener 15-13. The Indian player made a strong comeback in the second game with aggressive play and sharp placements to level the match.
In the decider, despite trailing at one point, Tanvi fought back to win and secure her spot in the semi-finals. With this victory, Tanvi has assured India its first medal at this year’s championship.
As per Sportstar, she is the first Indian girl since Saina Nehwal in 2008 to win a singles medal at BWF World Junior Championships.
Indian girls to win singles medal at BWF World Junior Championships
- Aparna Popat – Silver (1996, Silkeborg)
- Saina Nehwal – Silver (2006, Incheon)
- Saina Nehwal – Gold (2008, Pune)
- Tanvi Sharma – Assured of a bronze (2025, Guwahati)
Discussion about this post