India's 15-year-old badminton player Tanvi Patri may have missed out on the gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, but her fighting spirit has won her praise from some of India's biggest sporting stars. India's first individual Olympic gold medallist, Abhinav Bindra, was impressed by the way Tanvi fought till the very end in the women's singles final, despite being close to defeat. In a social media post, Bindra praised the youngster for refusing to give up and fighting for every point. He said her performance had left a lasting impression on him. The 2008 Beijing Olympics 10m air rifle gold medallist said Tanvi had shown everyone the importance of courage and never giving up. He also pointed out that sport teaches some of its biggest lessons through defeats. "Every once in a while, sport gives us a moment that stays with us, regardless of the result. Watching 15-year-old Tanvi Patri in Dakar was one of those moments for me. Even when the match seemed to be slipping away, she simply refused to give up. She fought for every point, with a determination that was quite extraordinary to watch," Bindra wrote. "She may have lost the match, but I think she taught all of us something about perseverance, courage and what it really means to keep going when things aren't going your way. I found her performance deeply inspiring. At just 15, she reminded us that sometimes the greatest lessons in sport don't come from winning," he said. "Tanvi, I hope you realise how many people you inspired that day. There will be many more matches, victories and disappointments along the way. But if you carry this same spirit with you, you have a wonderful journey ahead. You made India very proud. And you certainly earned a lifelong admirer in me," Bindra said.
PV Sindhu backs Tanvi's talent
Two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu also praised the young shuttler and agreed with Bindra. "Couldn't agree more with you, Abhinav! Tanvi is an incredible talent. Her maturity, composure and understanding of the game at such a young age are remarkable. Still a long road ahead, but she has all the ingredients to become something truly special!" Sindhu wrote. Praise from two of India's biggest sporting stars will be a big boost for Tanvi as she looks to build her career.
Tanvi creates history despite missing gold
Tanvi made history on Thursday by becoming the first Indian woman to win an individual badminton silver medal at the Youth Olympic Games. The 15-year-old put up a strong fight against China's Zhang Yi Xin in the final but lost 21-15, 13-21, 24-26 in a match that lasted one hour and 22 minutes. Tanvi saved six match points and also had three chances to win the gold medal. However, Zhang, the reigning world junior champion, held her nerve to win the deciding game. Before Tanvi, HS Prannoy (2010) and Lakshya Sen (2018) were the only Indians to win individual silver medals in badminton at the Youth Olympic Games.
Despite the heartbreak in the final, Tanvi said the silver medal would motivate her to do better in future tournaments. "I think this achievement means a lot to me and it will encourage me to play well in the future tournaments. And next year I am going to compete in Indonesia for the International Challenge Tournament. I hope I play well there," she said after the match. Tanvi started the final slowly but soon found her rhythm. She won seven points in a row to take a 10-5 lead in the opening game and went on to win it 21-15. She also started the second game well, taking a 4-0 lead. However, Zhang fought back and won the game 21-13 to take the match into a decider. The Chinese player then took control of the third game and opened up a 19-10 lead. But Tanvi refused to give up and fought her way back to 19-15. After saving five match points, Tanvi got three chances to finish the match and win gold. However, Zhang's experience helped her hold on and win the deciding game 26-24.
