Youth Olympics 2026: Tanvi keen to handle expectations

Rising Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri is aware of the expectations following her Asian Under-17 title and maiden senior international crown in Indonesia, but the 15-year-old is keen to stay focused on her game rather than look too far ahead as she competes at the Dakar Youth Olympics.The Odisha shuttler, who will compete in women's singles and mixed doubles, begins her singles campaign against South Korea's Yu Jeong Jang in Group F on Sunday.Currently ranked world No. 103, Tanvi is the highest-ranked player in the group, which also features Australia's Smrithi Adepu and Sara Delgado."Every day is different. I will try my best and perform well with everyone's good wishes and blessings," Tanvi said during a virtual media interaction."Representing India at the Youth Olympics is a proud moment for me. I have played quite a few tough tournaments this year, which have given me valuable experience and helped me understand my game better. "I feel I am quite prepared for the Youth Olympics, both physically and mentally. I just want to step onto the court and give my best."Tanvi heads into the competition after a productive season in which she won the Asian Under-17 women's singles title in Chengdu, China, in September, followed . She had also finished runner-up at the Singapore International in August before reaching the last 16 of the World Junior Championships in Egypt last month where she fell ill.The Asian Under-17 triumph was particularly special for Tanvi, whose early badminton years were spent in China, where her family lived because of her father's work."Winning the Asian U-17 gold medal in Chengdu, China, felt incredibly special. My father's work took our family to China when I was young, and I spent my early childhood training and winning my first junior titles there."Returning to the same country where my badminton journey began, this time representing India on the continental stage, brought my career full circle," she said.The victory also added to her Asian Under-15 crown, which she had won at the same venue in 2024, making her the first Indian shuttler to win both continental junior titles."Winning this title meant adding the U-17 crown to the Asian U-15 championship I won at the same venue in 2024. It was an unforgettable milestone that validated all the years of travelling, adang and training across different borders since I was a little kid," she said.While she had dominated the U-15 competition without dropping a game in 2024, the U-17 campaign demanded greater resilience. "In 2026, at the U-17 championships, I had to fight through several three-game matches against Chinese opponents. The most notable ones were a close deciding game against China's Zhou Jing Li (15-13) in my opening match and a demanding three-game semifinal against China's Yu Ying Gui," she said.The 15-year-old is also beginning to find her feet on the senior circuit, which she described as a major step up from junior badminton."The biggest challenge in transitioning from junior to senior badminton is the level of competition, both physically and technically, as well as mentally. Senior players are more experienced and stronger," she said."Transitioning from the junior to the senior circuit is one of the most difficult challenges in any sport. Winning my maiden senior title will help boost my confidence in upcoming competitions."Tanvi also reached back-to-back finals in Singapore and Indonesia, and said mental discipline helped her sustain her performances across the two weeks."Maintaining high energy relies heavily on mental discipline. I treated each match as a fresh start. The confidence I gained from reaching the final in Singapore also created positive psychological momentum," she said.Her campaign at the World Junior Championships, however, did not go as planned, with illness affecting her performance."My illness restricted me from performing well. Going forward, I need to plan better during long travels," she said.Tanvi trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy alongside two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu.She said she had focused on recovery and training."I took good rest for recovery and trained for a couple of days."With expectations rising around her at 15, Tanvi said she was concentrating on improving her game.She said there was still work to be done, particularly with the introduction of the 15-point format."This year has been going well so far. I will have to work on my skills for the new 15-point format," she said.Asked about her role model growing up, Tanvi named former Chinese great Lin Dan, highlighting consistency as the biggest lesson she had drawn from watching him."Consistency in performance is the key," she said.Among her favourite Olympic memories is watching South Korean star An Se Young in action."Watching all the matches of An Se Young," she said.(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited . It is published from a syndicated feed)