Rising teenaged badminton star Tanvi Sharma has done the country proud by rising to the top of the world junior badminton women’s rankings. The new World Number 1 junior women’s singles player achieved this feat after her stupendous performance in the just concluded Badminton World Federation (BWF) US Open Super 300 tournament, where she bagged a well-deserved silver medal.
The 16-year-old girl from Hoshiarpur in Punjab impressed everyone by her winning streak at the tournament, where she defeated World No. 23, 40, 50 and 58 to storm into the final and emerge as the youngest Indian to reach a World Tour final. Tanvi, however, lost to top seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA in the summit clash, 21-11, 16-21, 21-10.
“At just 16, Teen Titan Tanvi Sharma is the new World No. 1 Junior Women’s Single Player. What a fantastic few weeks it has been for Tanvi,” the Badminton Association of India (BAI) posted on its official X handle.
Elated about her achievement, Tanvi said, “It was a good tournament for me. I didn't expect to play in the finals. Because my starting round was 32, the first round itself was a tough match. I just expected to give my best. Whatever I was doing, I wanted to play well.”
She said her first two rounds were the toughest. “First round was with a very experienced Vietnamese girl. In the second round, I played against Opatniputh Pitchamon, a former world junior champion. I am so happy that I played my best and won against these top-class players.”
Tanvi said she is now preparing for the Asian Junior Championships and World Junior Championships, scheduled to be held in India. “I also hope to participate in higher-level tournaments in the future. I want to play well in the Super 300 and 500 as well,” she added.
Signs exclusive deal with IOS Sports & Entertainment
Acknowledging her potential, IOS Sports and Entertainment has signed Tanvi as an exclusive athlete. Tanvi has already built her stature as one of India’s most promising young shuttlers with multiple international medals to her name, IOS Sports and Entertainment stated in a press release.
Tanvi’s other remarkable achievements include a silver medal at the Badminton Asia Youth Championships 2023, a gold at the Badminton Asia Team Championships 2024 and a silver at the Senior National Championships 2023. Her exploits are noteworthy, considering that she was mostly pitted against senior players.
“I’m incredibly excited to join the IOS Sports and Entertainment family. This partnership will provide me with the support and resources I need to take my game to even greater heights. My dream is to represent India at the Olympics and win medals for my country,” said the promising teenage sensation.
Mother’s mentoring made all the difference
Tanvi’s mother Meena Sharma has played a defining role in the success of her daughter by taking all the pains to mentor her over the years. Doubling up as a badminton coach, Meena, a former volleyball player, used to take Tanvi and her elder sister to the Hoshiarpur badminton stadium before the break of dawn for a gruelling 90-minute training session before dropping them to school. The training sessions continued in the evening too. Meena also took her daughters to the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad and stayed with them for five years. “Tanvi’s achievements have done me proud, and this is just the beginning,” said Meena, a coach at the Hoshiarpur Badminton Academy.
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