August 25th 2024.
New Delhi: At just thirteen years old, Tanvi Patri has made a name for herself as one of India's most promising young badminton players. She recently took home the girls' singles title at the U-15 Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China, the very country where she first discovered her love for the sport and honed her skills.
It was a momentous victory for Patri, who put on an outstanding performance throughout the tournament. In a 34-minute final match, she defeated Vietnam's second seed Thi Thu Huyen Nguyen with a score of 22-20, 21-11, offering a glimmer of hope for the Indian badminton scene after a tough time at the Paris Olympics.
When asked about her win, Patri shared her excitement with PTI from Chengdu, saying, "I'm feeling really good after winning the title. I had high expectations for myself and I'm happy I was able to meet them. I've been training at the renowned Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bangalore for the past two years, and it has truly helped me improve my game."
Patri's determination and resilience were on full display throughout the tournament. In the final match, she made an impressive comeback from being down 11-17 in the first game, ultimately winning the title without dropping a single game. Her parents, Rabinarayan Patri and Sailabala Panda, who are both software professionals, have been incredibly supportive of her badminton journey. In fact, they previously worked in China, where Patri first discovered her love for the sport.
However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the family returned to India in 2020, where she continued her training at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy. Vimal Kumar, the Director of PPBA, sees immense potential in Patri and has even drawn comparisons to the early days of P V Sindhu, one of India's most celebrated badminton players.
"She joined the academy in 2022 when she was about eight or nine years old," Kumar shared. "She reminds me a lot of Sindhu when she was young. The fact that she's able to win matches at such a young age is a great sign. With her temperament and determination, she has the potential to go far in the sport."
Patri's father, Rabinarayan, who works as a software engineer, even accompanies her to the academy and is fully invested in her training. In November 2022, he drove a whopping 1,400 km from Bengaluru to Balangir for Patri's participation in the state sub-junior badminton tournament. Kumar also noted that she is ahead of her age group and has even defeated senior players in the last six months, including the current national championship finalist, Tanvi Sharma.
"With continued improvement and focus on building her strength, she could very well be a strong contender for the 2028 or 2032 Olympics," Kumar added.
Patri's love for sports doesn't stop at badminton; she also enjoys skating. She began her badminton training under Chinese coach Jiang Yong Yi and has already won nine titles in China between 2017 and 2020. After returning to India, she caught the eye of PPBA during a camp and officially joined the academy in March 2022.
Her hard work and dedication have paid off, as she went on to claim both the U-15 and U-17 girls' singles titles at the All India sub-junior ranking tournaments in Hyderabad in June and Mapusa, Goa in May of this year. In addition, she also won the gold medal at the 35th Sub-Junior National Championships in Balangir, Odisha, last November, becoming the first shuttler from Odisha to do so. She also made history in 2022 by winning the girls' singles title at the 34th Sub-Junior National Championships in Lucknow.
Currently a class eight student, Patri is already making waves on the international stage, having reached the quarterfinals at the German Junior International in Berlin in March. Her future in the world of badminton is undoubtedly bright, and she is determined to continue working hard and chasing her dreams.
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