How Did Tanvi Sharma Become the First Indian Female in 17 Years to Secure a Medal?
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Synopsis
In a remarkable turn of events, Tanvi Sharma has become the first Indian female player in 17 years to guarantee a medal at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships. Her journey to the semifinals reflects resilience, skill, and a fierce determination to succeed against strong competitors.
Key Takeaways
- Tanvi Sharma is the first Indian female player in 17 years to secure a medal at the BWF World Junior Championships.
- She overcame a game deficit to defeat Saki Matsumoto in the quarterfinals.
- Tanvi's achievement reflects the growth of women’s badminton in India.
- The last Indian female player to win a medal was Saina Nehwal in 2008.
- Tanvi will face Liu Si Ya from China in the semifinals.
Guwahati, Oct 17 (NationPress) Tanvi Sharma has made history by becoming the first Indian female athlete in 17 years to secure a medal at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships. She achieved this remarkable feat by overcoming a game deficit to defeat Japan’s Saki Matsumoto and advance to the girls' singles semifinals at the National Centre of Excellence on Friday.
The 16-year-old displayed remarkable composure under pressure, executing precise cross-court slices to win the match 13-15, 15-9, 15-10, in a thrilling 47-minute quarterfinal that had the audience on the edge of their seats.
The last Indian female player to earn a world junior medal was Saina Nehwal, who clinched the gold in the 2008 edition held in Pune. Saina is joined by Aparna Popat (1996 silver) as the only other Indian women to achieve this honor in the tournament's history.
Top-seeded Tanvi, who previously secured a bronze in the Badminton Asia Junior Championships earlier this year, started strongly, racing to a 10-6 lead. However, a series of unforced errors allowed Matsumoto to seize the momentum, winning seven consecutive points to claim the first game. Tanvi managed to regroup and dominated the second game to win 15-9.
In the third game, she initially struggled, trailing 5-8 at the mid-game interval. Nevertheless, her nerves steadied, and she won four consecutive points to take the lead at 9-8, employing her flat tosses and cross smashes to outmaneuver her opponent. “It’s challenging to play against Matsumoto as she controls the tempo. I knew I had to play aggressively. I’m thrilled to have secured a medal,” stated Tanvi, who is set to face Liu Si Ya of China next.
Liu advanced by defeating Sri Lanka’s Ranithma Liyanage 15-9, 15-6 in the other quarterfinal.
Meanwhile, India’s hopes for an additional medal in girls' singles were dashed when eighth seed Unnati Hooda lost 15-12, 15-13 to second seed Anyapat Phichitpreechasak from Thailand. Unnati struggled with her front-court movement and was often caught off guard by Anyapat’s quick drops and smashes during the 32-minute match.
In the boys’ singles quarterfinals, Gnana Dattu fought valiantly against third seed Liu Yang Ming Yu from China, but fell short, losing 15-11, 15-13.
The mixed doubles team of Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo also faced defeat in the quarterfinals against Hung Bing Fu and Chou Yun An from Chinese Taipei, with a score of 15-9, 15-7.
Results (as of 5:30 PM):
Boys singles:
1-Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah (Indonesia) bt Zi Sheng Wu (China) 15-6, 17-15 (saved 2 gp); Li Zhi Hang (China) bt Chung Ching Cyrus (Hong Kong) 15-4, 15-7; 3-Liu Yang Ming Yu (China) bt Gnana Dattu TT (India) 15-11, 15-13; 2-Richie Duta Richardo (Indonesia) bt Ayu Fu Sheng (Malaysia) 15-9, 15-9
Girls singles:
1-Tanvi Sharma (India) bt Saki Matsumoto (Japan) 13-15, 15-9, 15-10; Liu Si Ya (China) bt 4-Ranithma Liyanage (Sri Lanka) 15-9, 15-6; 6-Yataweemin Ketklieng (Thailand) bt Yuzuno Watanabe (Japan) 15-3, 15-12; 2-Anyapat Phichitpreechasak (Thailand) bt 8-Unnati Hooda (India) 15-12, 15-13
Mixed doubles:
1-Loh Ziheng/Noraqilah Maisarah (Malaysia) bt 9-Ikhsan Pramudya/Rinjani Nastine (Indonesia) 15-10, 15-8; Hung Bing Fu/Chou Yun An (Chinese Taipei) bt 14-Bhavya Chhabra/Vishakha Toppo (India) 15-9, 15-7; 4-Chen Jun Ting/Cao Zi Han (China) bt 8-Shuji Sawada/Aoi Banno (Japan) 15-3, 15-10; 2-Lee Hyeong Woo/Cheon Hye In (Korea) bt 5-Tan Zhi Yang/Nicole Tan (Malaysia) 17-15, 14-16, 15-6
Point of View
Tanvi Sharma's achievement is a significant milestone for Indian badminton. It not only highlights her individual talent but also reflects the growing strength of women's badminton in India. As we look forward to her future matches, her journey serves as an inspiration for young athletes across the country.
NationPress
19/10/2025
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is Tanvi Sharma?
Tanvi Sharma is a 16-year-old badminton player from India who recently made history by becoming the first Indian female athlete in 17 years to secure a medal at the BWF World Junior Championships.
What medal did Tanvi Sharma secure?
Tanvi Sharma has secured a place in the medal contention at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships after reaching the semifinals.
Who did Tanvi Sharma defeat to reach the semifinals?
Tanvi Sharma defeated Japan’s Saki Matsumoto in a thrilling quarterfinal match.
What is the significance of Tanvi's achievement?
Tanvi's achievement marks a historic moment for Indian women's badminton as she is the first female player to secure a medal at the World Junior Championships in 17 years.
What are Tanvi Sharma's future prospects?
Having displayed remarkable skill and composure, Tanvi Sharma is set to compete against Liu Si Ya of China in the semifinals, with hopes of winning a medal.
