Chengdu [China], September 13 (ANI): Fifteen-year-old Tanvi Patri secured the girls' singles U17 title at the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships on Sunday, rallying back to defeat compatriot Shaina Manimuthu 11-15, 15-10, 15-12 in an all-Indian final, according to a Badminton Association of India (BAI) press release.
The victory marks another milestone in a standout 2026 season for the Odisha youngster. Patri, who won her first international title at the Pontianak International Challenge and clinched the All India Junior U19 Badminton Ranking Tournament in Bengaluru earlier this year, has now added a continental U17 crown to her 2024 U15 Asian title.
Second-seeded Patri navigated a demanding draw to reach the summit clash. After receiving a first-round bye, she opened her campaign by surviving a tight three-game battle against China’s Zhou Jing Li, 18-16, 12-15, 15-13. She followed that up with a 15-9, 15-12 win over Japan’s Shizuku Kashio before producing a dominant 15-8, 15-8 display against China’s Lin Heng Men in the quarterfinals. In the semifinals, Patri maintained her composure in a tense decider to overcome China's Yu Ying Gui 15-9, 11-15, 15-11.
On the other side of the draw, sixth seed Manimuthu enjoyed an equally impressive run to set up a rematch of their Bengaluru final. Her path included a strong quarterfinal victory over Japan’s Yui Itabashi and a composed 15-13, 15-12 semifinal win against another Japanese shuttler, Anon Okimoto, where she held her nerve brilliantly in the closing stages.
Patri's win keeps the U17 girls' singles trophy in Indian hands for the second straight year, following Diksha Sudhakar’s historic title win in 2025. Manimuthu, who captured the U15 Asian title last year, secured a well-deserved silver medal.
Adding to the tally in the U15 section, the boys' doubles pair of Aaditya Singh Negi and Tanmay Verma secured a bronze medal. The Indian duo bowed out in the semifinals on Saturday, going down 5-15, 10-15 to the Chinese Taipei pair of Bo Lin Ho and Jui En Hou, wrapping up a successful continental campaign for the contingent. (ANI)
Tanvi Patri wins U17 title at Badminton Asia Junior Championships
