Dakar: Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri scripted history by becoming the first Indian woman badminton player to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Olympic Games at the ongoing 2026 edition in Dakar, Senegal.
Tanvi’s achievement places her alongside an elite group of Indian shuttlers who have advanced to the last four at the Youth Olympics. HS Prannoy claimed silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen finished as runner-up at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires. Aditya Joshi reached the boys’ singles semi-finals in 2014 but missed out on a podium finish.
Tanvi now stands on the brink of becoming the first Indian woman to secure a badminton medal at the Youth Olympics. A semi-final victory will guarantee her a medal, whilst a defeat will afford her a secondary opportunity to contend for the bronze.
She will clash with Japan’s Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-finals. The duo have crossed paths once before, at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, where Tanvi suffered a 14-21, 10-21 loss.
India has already bagged three medals at the Dakar Games, with Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu adding to the tally by clinching a historic bronze in the women’s changquan combined wushu event on Tuesday.
Rajkumari registered an overall score of 18.039, combining 8.723 in gunshu and 9.316 in changquan to finish third. Egypt’s Sondos Sonbol took gold with 18.660, whilst Venezuela’s Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado claimed silver with 18.199.
The bronze made Rajkumari India’s first-ever wushu medallist at the Youth Olympics, where the martial art is making its debut as a medal discipline.
Earlier in the Games, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada secured silver in the women’s judo 63kg category, while Dhinidhi Desinghu became the first Indian swimmer to win a Youth Olympic medal after taking bronze in the women’s 100m freestyle, clocking a national record time of 56.27 seconds.
Dhinidhi, 16, touched the wall behind Croatia’s Ana Bobanovic, who grabbed gold in 55.89 seconds, and New Zealand’s Alyssa Lawson, who claimed silver in 56.13 seconds.
With one silver and two bronze medals secured, India will aim to expand its medal haul as competition continues at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.