Guwahati, Oct 19 (NationPress) Tanvi Sharma's remarkable journey at the BWF World Junior Championships concluded with a silver medal in the girls’ singles category here on Sunday. The top-seeded Indian faced a defeat against Thailand’s second-seeded Anyapat Phichitpreechasak, with scores of 15-7, 15-12 in the final match that spanned 28 minutes.

With this achievement, Tanvi has become the fifth Indian and the third female badminton player to earn a silver medal at the Junior World Championships. Following her loss in the final, Olympic medallist Saina Nehwal remains the only Indian to have won gold in this event, a title she secured back in 2008.

Besides Tanvi and Saina, who also garnered a silver medal in 2006, other notable Indian medalists include Aparna Popat (1996), Siril Verma (silver in 2015), and Sankar Muthusamy (silver in 2022).

Tanvi started cautiously in the first game against Anyapat, finding it difficult to respond to the Thai shuttler’s clever drop shots while committing several unforced errors, trailing 8-5 at the interval. Anyapat seized the opportunity and secured the first game comfortably.

The second game mirrored the first as Tanvi lost the initial point due to a poorly directed smash. Nevertheless, she quickly regained her form, exciting the home crowd with five consecutive points. Anyapat matched her with three points in a row, but Tanvi managed to take a three-point lead into the mid-game break.

However, her momentum was short-lived. A series of unforced errors allowed Anyapat to equalize at 8-all and take control once more. Despite Tanvi's attempts to mount a comeback, the Thai shuttler held her nerve to clinch the match.

Anyapat, a former U15 Asian champion, had previously eliminated Tanvi’s compatriot Unnati Hooda in the quarterfinals.

This silver medal is a fitting conclusion to a breakthrough season for the young athlete. Earlier this year, she had already secured a bronze medal at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships and made an impressive run to the US Open final.