Guwahati: India’s Tanvi Sharma competes with China’s Liu Si Ya during the women’s singles semi-final match at the BWF World Junior Championships at the National Center of Excellence in Guwahati. (PTI Photo) (PTI10_18_2025_000169A) After playing a key role in helping India win a historic bronze in the team event of the BWF World Junior Championships, Tanvi Sharma looked to reach the final of the girls’ singles in Guwahati.With gold in sight, the 16-year-old finally broke down and went down to Thailand’s Anyapata Phichitpreechasaka 7:15, 12:15 in Sunday’s summit clash at the National Center of Excellence.“I am very happy with the silver medal, but I am a bit disappointed that I did not win the gold. I played very well and was confident in the final as well, but that did not happen,” Tanvi told TOI after the match.Despite the heartbreak, she became only the fifth Indian woman to win silver in the event after Aparna Popat (1996), Saina Nehwal (2006), Siril Verma (2015) and Sankar Muthuswamy (2022).Anyapat, who was beaten by Tanvi in the semi-finals of the 2023 Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships Badminton, did not allow the Indian to catch up this time and took the first game in just nine minutes. In the second, Tanvi led 6-1 and 8-5 at the break, but a series of errors and mounting pressure saw the Thai opponent take control again.“I was in a comfortable position but suddenly I started making mistakes. I was also nervous because of the big stadium and the crowd,” said Tanvi, who has been training at NCE for a year now.Her coach Park Taesang kept urging her to play long rallies, but the momentum had already begun to swing. “He told me to play my game and stay in the rally to get points. There are days when I make those mistakes, so I have to work on that – especially my net game and stamina,” she said.However, Tanvi’s performance in the last week has been a huge positive for the junior badminton setup in India. Her poise, movement and shot selection throughout the event impressed coaches and selectors alike, marking her as one of the most promising shuttlers to emerge from the National Center of Excellence’s new program.Having already proven her ability to handle pressure on the world stage, the teenager is now looking to break into the senior circuit. “This result gives me the confidence to compete at the next level,” said Tanvi. “I will continue to improve and work on consistency so that I can do well in the senior tournaments as well.”
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Tanvi credits her mother Meena and coach Park for their unwavering support. “My coach was very happy after the semi-final and asked me to play my game in the final without thinking about the result. My mother has always guided me and travels with me everywhere,” she added.As for the boys’ singles final, China’s Liu Yang Ming Yu defeated top seed Mohd Zaki Ubaidillah of Indonesia 15-10, 15-11 to clinch the title. China’s Tan Ke Xuan and Wei Yue Yue took the girls’ doubles crown, while Korea’s Lee Hyeong Woo and Cheon Hye In won the mixed doubles title.
