"Just the beginning": Tanvi Patri sets sights on LA 2028 after Youth Olympic silver

Tanvi Patri was one shot away from gold. Trailing 10-19 in the deciding game of the women's singles final at Dakar 2026, she fought back to level the score and earn three match points of her own. But China's Zhang Yi Xin, the reigning world junior champion, held her nerve to win 21-15, 13-21, 24-26 after 82 minutes on November 5.

Speaking at a virtual press conference organised by the Badminton Federation of India on Monday, Tanvi showed little regret over the defeat.

"I was happy with my silver because I just gave my best. There's nothing else to do," she said.

"I wasn't sad about the silver. I was like, this is just the beginning. I should be focusing on the main Olympics. It's just a bonus, the junior Olympics, for me."

The silver made her the first Indian woman to win a badminton medal at the Youth Olympic Games and only the third Indian to claim an individual badminton medal at the event, after HS Prannoy in 2010 and Lakshya Sen in 2018. Both had also won silver.

How the final turned

Tanvi took the opening game from what she described as the slower side of the court, but struggled after the change of ends.

"My lifts and all were going out in the second set," she said.

Zhang exploited the faster conditions with deceptive drops towards Tanvi's backhand, leaving the Indian caught between lifting to the back of the court and risking a smash through the middle.

"If I lifted to the back, the shuttle might go outside. Every time I lifted to mid-court she just hit a smash, and then she put that slow drop in front," Tanvi explained.

Trailing 10-19 in the decider, she focused on reducing errors rather than the scoreline.

"I should focus on one point at a time and not think about the result too much. I should reduce my errors, try to play positive, play inside the court as much as I can, and not give up," she said.

An older, slower shuttle helped her lifts hold their length late in the game, while Zhang began making mistakes under pressure.

"I just let her move in all four corners, and she also made mistakes in the end," Tanvi recalled.

The missed opportunity, however, offered a lesson for future tournaments.

"At last, if I had just hit that smash in, I would have scored a point and won," she said.

"In future tournaments, when the score is neck and neck, we should just play inside the court and not target the lines too much."

Two days of practice before Dakar

Tanvi's run in Senegal came despite limited preparation. She fell ill upon arriving at the World Junior Championships in Egypt, where she reached the round of 16. The fever continued after she returned home.

"For like one week I took complete rest, and then I just practised for two days and then I went to Dakar," she said.

Seeded third, she topped Group F before beating Thailand's seventh seed Kakanik Kungkaew 21-17, 21-13 in the quarterfinals and Japan's second seed Yuzuno Watanabe 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in the semifinals.

Conditions at the athletes' village added to the challenge. "There was no AC, it was so hot and humid, and there were mosquitoes," she said, although she described the overall arrangements positively.

Tanvi has also dealt with a knee injury, a hamstring problem last year and a back injury this year. Her immediate priority is therefore physical conditioning and recovery.

"My strength and rehab part," she said, identifying the areas she wants to work on.

From China to Bengaluru

Tanvi's badminton journey began in China, where her father was working. She would accompany him to the club where he played in the evenings, initially joining doubles games. A coach eventually invited her to train at his academy.

She was seven and a half and spent nearly three years in the Chinese system.

"All the big infrastructure is allowed for everyone," she said. She also recalled playing figure skating in a park on weekends, which helped develop her balance.

The family returned to India during the COVID-19 pandemic. After about a year of training in Odisha, they approached the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy on the recommendation of a Chinese coach. Tanvi attended a camp and was subsequently selected.

She credited the Bengaluru coaching group, including Vimal Kumar, for improving her speed and helping her manage injuries. She has since won the Badminton Asia Under-15 title in 2024 and the Under-17 crown in September this year.

LA 2028 and the 15-point challenge 

Her experiences with injuries have also reshaped her ambitions.

"Earlier I used to say my aim is to get a medal for my country. Now my aim is to qualify for LA and play my best there," she said.

"I know it's hard to qualify, but I'll try my best."

Before that, she is targeting the Asian Under-19 Junior Championships and World Junior Championships next year.

Both will be played under the BWF's new 3x15 scoring system, which takes effect in January 2027. Tanvi, however, is not entirely convinced by the change.

"In 15 points you'll be having so much pressure. If you make mistakes, it's an advantage for the opponent, and if you're down you don't get much confidence to push yourself," she said.

"In 21 points, even if you're down, we know there's time. But what to do, from next year we have to play 15 points, so we have to minimise errors and be confident in each and every stroke."

Tanvi looks up to Viktor Axelsen, Lin Dan and Tai Tzu Ying for their patience and fighting spirit, while she admires An Se Young's shot selection.

"She knows when to play the correct stroke. She doesn't forcefully play random strokes," she said.

PV Sindhu's public praise of her fighting attitude was also "really special", she added.

For now, Dakar's silver is a milestone. Los Angeles is the bigger ambition.