Taniya Creates History with Silver at Dakar Youth Olympics
Indian wrestler Taniya scripted history at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, by winning silver in the women’s 75kg beach wrestling event. She became India’s first-ever beach wrestling medallist at the global multi-sport competition, marking a significant milestone for Indian wrestling.
Taniya narrowly missed out on the gold medal after losing 1-2 to China’s Min Zhao in the final at Saly Beach West on Saturday. Beach wrestling made its debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, making her achievement even more special.
Taniya’s Impressive Run to the Final
The Indian wrestler produced an outstanding performance throughout the competition, winning all three of her group-stage bouts to secure a place in the semi-finals.
She began her campaign with a 3-1 victory over Germany’s Mia Bauer before defeating Greece’s Vasiliki Karavanou 3-0. Taniya continued her winning run with a 4-1 victory against Estonia’s Merily Vaester in her final group encounter.
In the semi-finals, Taniya faced the United States’ Matilda Hruby, who had arrived in Dakar as one of the strong contenders after winning the women’s 75kg title at the 2026 U17 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Azerbaijan.
However, the Indian wrestler delivered another impressive performance, defeating Hruby 3-1 to book her place in the gold medal contest.
Min Zhao Wins Gold in the Women’s 75kg Final
Taniya faced China’s Min Zhao in the final but eventually settled for silver after a closely contested 1-2 defeat.
Zhao entered the competition with an impressive international record, having won the women’s 69kg freestyle title at the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships. The Chinese wrestler went on to secure the inaugural Youth Olympic beach wrestling gold medal in the 75kg category.
Despite missing out on the top podium position, Taniya’s silver medal marked a historic achievement for India in a discipline making its first appearance at the Youth Olympics.
Taniya’s Previous International Achievements
Taniya arrived in Dakar with valuable international experience. Earlier in 2026, she won bronze in the women’s 69kg freestyle category at the U17 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan. She also secured silver at the U17 Asian Championships.
Her performances at the international level have established her as one of India’s promising young wrestling talents.
India’s Medal Tally Reaches Seven in Dakar
Taniya’s silver medal took India’s overall medal tally at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games to seven, comprising three silver and four bronze medals.
Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won silver in the women’s 63kg judo event, while Tanvi Patri secured silver in women’s singles badminton.
In swimming, Dhinidhi Desinghu claimed two bronze medals in the women’s 100m and 200m freestyle events. Tirthank Pegu also added a bronze in the men’s 200m butterfly. Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu contributed another bronze in the women’s changquan combined event in wushu.
With her historic silver, Taniya added beach wrestling to India’s list of medal-winning disciplines at the Dakar Youth Olympics. Her performance represents an important step forward for Indian wrestling and highlights the country’s growing presence in international youth sports.
