India’s rising badminton star Tanvi Patri etched her name in the history books on Saturday, becoming only the second Indian women’s singles player to win the Asian U17 crown after defeating compatriot Shaina Manimuthu in a thrilling final in Chengdu, China.

Tanvi clinched the Under-17 women’s singles title at the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships 2026 at the Chengdu Wenjiang Gymnasium on September 13, overcoming a first-game setback to beat Shaina 11-15, 15-10, 15-12 in a 46-minute final.

The victory also completed a remarkable continental double for the 15-year-old Odisha shuttler, who had won the U15 women’s singles title in 2024. She is now the only Indian badminton player to have won both the U15 and U17 women’s singles crowns at the Asian junior championships.

Patri overcomes Shaina to claim historic crown

Playing under the 3x15 scoring format, Tanvi was forced to fight back after losing the opening game. The second seed responded strongly in the next two games, maintaining her composure to overturn the deficit and seal another major junior title.

Shaina, the 2025 Asian U15 champion, pushed her fellow Indian hard in the decider, but Tanvi held her nerve to complete the victory. Her triumph comes after an impressive run in Chengdu, where she defeated three Chinese opponents on her way to the title.

Tanvi received a bye in the Round of 64 before beginning her campaign with a closely fought 18-16, 12-15, 15-13 victory over China’s Zhou Jing Li. She then produced a more commanding performance against Japan’s Shizuku Kashio, winning 15-9, 15-12 to advance to the quarter-finals. The Indian continued her dominant run in the last eight, dispatching China’s Lin Heng Men 15-8, 15-8.

In the semi-finals, Tanvi faced another Chinese opponent, Yu Ying Gui, and survived another three-game battle, winning 15-9, 11-15, 15-11.

From Kunshan beginnings to Asian glory

Tanvi’s success in China carries a personal significance. Although she now trains in India, she began playing badminton in Kunshan while living there with her parents. Her early development was shaped by Chinese coaches Jiang Yong Yi, Zhang Lei and Wu before she returned to India in 2020.

Across her five matches in Chengdu, Tanvi spent 204 minutes on court, underlining the physical and mental demands of her title-winning campaign.

The youngster had already made her mark at senior level this year, winning her maiden senior title at the Pontianak International Challenge after defeating two players ranked inside the world’s top 100.

Tanvi in a still from one of her matches

Her latest triumph adds another landmark achievement to an outstanding 2026 campaign.

The Bengaluru-based Centre for Badminton Excellence trainee has now collected two titles, three runner-up finishes and a semi-final appearance this year, further underlining her emergence as one of India’s most promising young shuttlers.