CHENGDU — Fifteen-year-old Tanvi Patri claimed the girls’ singles U17 title at the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships on Sunday, defeating fellow Indian Shaina Manimuthu with scores of 11-15, 15-10, 15-12 in a thrilling all-Indian final.
This victory marked another remarkable achievement for the Odisha native, who has had a breakout year in 2026. Patri, who previously secured her first international title at the Pontianak International Challenge and later triumphed at the All India Junior U19 Badminton Ranking Tournament in Bengaluru, has now added the continental U17 championship to her accolades, which includes the U15 Asian title she won in 2024.
Seeded second, Patri faced challenges early in the tournament after receiving a first-round bye. She narrowly defeated China’s Zhou Jing Li in a closely contested three-game match, finishing with scores of 18-16, 12-15, 15-13, and then advanced by overcoming Japan’s Shizuku Kashio with a scoreline of 15-9, 15-12.
In the quarterfinals, Patri showcased her skills with a commanding performance against China’s Lin Heng Men, winning decisively 15-8, 15-8. She secured her spot in the final with a hard-fought semifinal match against China’s Yu Ying Gui, winning 15-9, 11-15, 15-11.
Shaina Manimuthu, the sixth seed, also had a commendable journey to the final, setting up a rematch from their previous encounter in Bengaluru. She achieved a significant quarterfinal victory over Japan’s Yui Itabashi and subsequently defeated another Japanese player, Anon Okimoto, with scores of 15-13, 15-12 in the semifinals.
With this win, India successfully retained the U17 girls’ singles title for the second consecutive year, following Diksha Sudhakar’s success in 2025. Manimuthu, who was the U15 Asian champion last year, finished with a silver medal.
Additionally, India earned a bronze medal in the U15 boys’ doubles event, where Aaditya Singh Negi and Tanmay Verma reached the semifinals but faced a defeat against Chinese Taipei’s Bo Lin Ho and Jui En Hou, ending their run with scores of 5-15, 10-15.
