Tanvi reaches semis, ensures Jr Worlds medal

While her colleagues faltered on their way to the business end of the BWF World Junior Championships, women's singles top seed Tanvi Sharma ensured that there will be at least one Indian at the podium ceremony in Guwahati on Sunday as she rallied to win her quarterfinal and assured herself of a medal on Friday.

- Sandip Sikdar

The 16-year-old, who had clinched a bronze at the Asian Junior Championships in July, came from behind to defeat Japan's Saki Matsumoto 13-15, 15-9, 15-10 in 47 minutes at the National Centre of Excellence.

The player from Hoshiarpur, Punjab, kept her nerves under pressure and found winners with her cross-court slices to beat Matsumoto in what was the first contest between the two shuttlers.

Tanvi became the first Indian female to be assured of a BWF World Junior Championships medal in 17 years.

This is India's first individual medal at the event since 2023 when Ayush Shetty clinched the men's singles bronze at Spokane. However, Tanvi is only the third female to medal at the prestigious event after Aparna Popat (silver in 1996) and Saina Nehwal (silver in 2006 and gold in 2008).