Tanvi Sharma Shines at Syed Modi International, Upsets Former Champion
At the Syed Modi International held on Thursday, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma, a silver medalist at the World Junior Championships, captured attention with a stunning performance that led her to the quarterfinals. In a thrilling match lasting 59 minutes, Tanvi overcame a game deficit to defeat former world champion Nozomi Okuhara with scores of 13-21, 21-16, 21-19.
Representing Punjab, Tanvi initially lost the first game but showcased her resilience and skill against the 2017 world champion. With the support of the enthusiastic home crowd in Lucknow, she executed one of the best matches of her budding career, demonstrating remarkable composure under pressure.
Earlier in the tournament, Tanvi had made a strong start by beating fellow young player Ashmita Chaliha in straight games, winning 21-15, 21-19.
Tanvi has already made a name for herself in badminton history. As the first Indian player to win multiple medals at the 2025 BWF World Junior Championships, she took home a silver in girls’ singles and a bronze in the mixed team event. Additionally, she played a crucial role in the Indian women’s team that won gold at the 2024 Badminton Asia Team Championships.
Her impressive track record includes being the youngest Indian to reach a BWF World Tour final, where she finished as runner-up at the 2025 US Open Super 300. With her aggressive playing style and poise, she is drawing comparisons to celebrated Indian badminton figures. Currently training under South Korean coach Park Tae-sang, Tanvi is set to be a prominent player in the future of Indian badminton.
Manraj Singh Upsets HS Prannoy
On the same day, 19-year-old Manraj Singh also made waves by defeating the 2023 World Championships bronze medalist HS Prannoy with a score of 21-15, 21-18 in just 43 minutes. This impressive victory added excitement to the men’s singles competition and continued India’s streak of surprises.
In other matches, top seed Unnati Hooda easily advanced by overcoming Tasnim Mir, setting up a quarterfinal match against seventh seed Rakshitha Sree Santhosh Ramraj. Mithun Manjunath also progressed by defeating Tharun Mannepalli and will face Manraj next.
In the doubles category, fifth seeds Hariharan Amsakarunan and MR Arjun moved forward, while defending champions Treesa Jolly and Gayatri Gopichand reached the women’s doubles quarterfinals. Several mixed doubles teams from India also made it through, marking a strong day for the host nation.
(Report by Akshay Ramesh)
