Dakar [Senegal], November 4 (ANI): Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma 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 puts her among a select group of Indian shuttlers to have reached the last four at the Youth Olympics. HS Prannoy won silver at the inaugural edition in Singapore in 2010, while Lakshya Sen finished runner-up at the 2018 Games in Buenos Aires. Aditya Joshi had reached the boys' singles semi-finals in 2014 but returned without a medal, according to a press release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI).
Tanvi now has an opportunity to become the first Indian woman to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympics. A victory in the semi-finals will guarantee her a medal, while a defeat will leave her with another opportunity to compete for bronze.
She will face Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe in the semi-finals. The two players have met once previously, at the 2024 Pathum Thani Junior International Series in Thailand, where Tanvi lost 14-21, 10-21.
India has already secured three medals at the Dakar Games, with Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu adding to the tally with a historic bronze in the women's changquan combined wushu event on Tuesday.
Rajkumari scored 18.039 overall, combining 8.723 in gunshu and 9.316 in changquan to finish third. Egypt's Sondos Sonbol won gold with 18.660, while 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 sport is making its debut as a medal event.
Earlier, Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada won 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 in a national record time of 56.27 seconds.
Dhinidhi, 16, finished behind Croatia's Ana Bobanovic, who won 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, India will look to add to its tally as the Youth Olympic Games continue in Dakar. (ANI)
Tanvi Sharma becomes first Indian woman to reach badminton semi-finals at Youth Olympics
