From Youth Olympics silver to LA 2028: Tanvi Patri outlines her goals

New Delhi: Fifteen-year-old Indian badminton sensation Tanvi Patri has tempered her expectations following a series of injuries, with qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics now among her major goals over the next two years.

Fresh off a landmark silver medal at the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Tanvi also wants to win the Asian Junior Championships and World Junior Championships, besides breaking into the top 30 of the world rankings.

Tanvi has had to deal with knee, hamstring and, most recently, back injuries in her budding career.

“Earlier, I used to say that my aim was to win a medal for my country in LA. But this year, I had a back injury, and last year, I had a hamstring injury. So, I think my aim for now is to qualify for LA and play my best there.

“I know it’s hard to qualify, but I’ll still try my best to qualify for LA 2028. For next year, I think my goal is to win the Asian Under-19 Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships,” she said in a virtual media interaction.

The Odisha girl could not perform well at the World Junior Championships last month as she was not in the best of health.

Tanvi’s badminton journey began in China, where her father used to work for a major footwear brand. She received her early training from two Chinese coaches, Xu and Wu, before moving back to India in 2020. She now trains at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru.

“The first Chinese coach who taught me passed away last year. I’m in touch with the other Chinese coach. He has also helped me a lot. Both of them have helped me improve my technique, footwork and action. I think the first Chinese coach, who passed away, taught me that I should always focus on my technique first. I should not just go and play 100 shuttles at a time.

“First, I should focus on my actions and all. Then, once I have perfected them, I should proceed step by step. I should not rush,” she said, speaking about the Chinese influence on her career.

Tanvi idolises Viktor Axelsen, Lin Dan and Tai Tzu Ying and wants to develop a fighting spirit like theirs.

“I like their attitude on the court and the way they play. They just don’t give up on points easily, even when they are behind. They try to give their best. Their strokes are also very confident and accurate. They are always patient on the court and don’t rush to win points,” she said.

“So, yeah, I like their way of playing and their attitude on the court.”

On the areas she needs to improve, Tanvi said: “I think I need to reduce errors on the faster side and with half-smashes. I think I should work more on accuracy, strength and physical fitness. I also want my smash to have more power and accuracy.”

Tanvi said dabbling in blade skating in China helped her maintain balance in badminton. She also used to take figure-skating lessons when she was in China.

As someone also preparing for her Class 10 board examinations next year, Tanvi said it was difficult to juggle studies and badminton.

“It’s hard to manage both. After training sessions, I get very tired. I don’t get enough time to study. I just study forcefully because I have boards next year,” Tanvi said.