Tanvi Sharma Wins Silver at BWF World Junior Championships, Becomes Fifth Indian Finalist

India’s 16-year-old badminton sensation Tanvi Sharma delivered a stunning performance at the BWF World Junior Championships 2025, finishing as the runner-up in the girls’ singles event. Competing on home soil at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, Tanvi’s inspiring run ended with a silver medal after a 7-15, 12-15 loss to Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak in the final on Sunday.

With this achievement, Tanvi became only the fifth Indian in history to win a silver medal at the prestigious tournament, joining the ranks of Aparna Popat (1996), Saina Nehwal (2006), Siril Verma (2015), and Sankar Muthuswamy (2022). India concluded the championship with an individual silver and a team bronze—an impressive overall campaign.

In the final, Tanvi struggled to find her rhythm early, committing unforced errors as she tried to score quick points. Anyapat capitalized on this, reading Tanvi’s flat pushes and flick tosses with ease and securing seven consecutive points to dominate the first game in just nine minutes.

Tanvi bounced back in the second game, showing better control by serving short and winning six straight points. However, Anyapat quickly adjusted her strategy, extending rallies and forcing Tanvi into mistakes. The Thai shuttler once again claimed seven straight points to take a 12-8 lead. Despite Tanvi trying varied tactics like flick pushes and slow drops, Anyapat held her nerve and sealed the match with a powerful stick smash.

“I was not comfortable and made a lot of mistakes. She was reading my strokes very well,” Tanvi admitted after the match.

In other finals, China’s Liu Yang Ming Yu clinched the boys’ singles title, while China and Korea took home the girls’ doubles and mixed doubles crowns, respectively.

Tanvi’s silver marks a proud moment for Indian badminton, signaling a promising future for the young athlete.