Tanvi Sharma Makes History at Youth Olympic Games in Dakar

Historic Achievement for Indian Badminton

Dakar [Senegal], November 4: Indian badminton player Tanvi Sharma has made history by becoming the first woman from India to reach the semi-finals of the Youth Olympic Games, currently taking place in Dakar, Senegal.

This remarkable feat places Tanvi among a distinguished group of Indian badminton players who have reached the semi-finals at the Youth Olympics. Notably, HS Prannoy secured a silver medal at the inaugural event in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen was the runner-up at the 2018 Games held in Buenos Aires. Additionally, Aditya Joshi reached the boys' singles semi-finals in 2014 but did not win a medal, as reported by the Badminton Association of India (BAI).

Tanvi now has the chance to become the first Indian woman to earn a medal in badminton at the Youth Olympics. A win in the semi-finals will ensure her a medal, while a loss will still provide her with an opportunity to compete for bronze.

In the semi-finals, she will compete against Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe. The two athletes have faced each other once before at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, where Tanvi lost with scores of 14-21, 10-21.

India has already claimed three medals at the Dakar Games, with Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu contributing a historic bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event on Tuesday.

Rajkumari achieved an overall score of 18.039, combining 8.723 in gunshu and 9.316 in changquan to secure third place. Egypt's Sondos Sonbol took home the gold with a score of 18.660, while Venezuela's Valeria Frannerys Dudamel Alvarado earned silver with 18.199.

This bronze medal marks Rajkumari as India's first-ever wushu medallist at the Youth Olympics, where the sport is making its debut as a medal event.

Earlier in the competition, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won silver in the women's judo 63kg category, and Dhinidhi Desinghu became the first Indian swimmer to win a Youth Olympic medal, taking bronze in the women's 100m freestyle with a national record time of 56.27 seconds.

Dhinidhi, aged 16, finished behind Croatia's Ana Bobanovic, who won gold in 55.89 seconds, and New Zealand's Alyssa Lawson, who secured silver in 56.13 seconds.

With one silver and two bronze medals already, India aims to enhance its medal tally as the Youth Olympic Games progress in Dakar.