Following illness, Tanvi battles tough Dakar conditions ahead of Youth Olympics

KOLKATA: Odisha’s Tanvi Patri hasn’t had the best preparation heading into the Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, where the badminton competition will be held from November 1-5.Drawn in Group F, the 15-year-old enters the tournament after falling ill at the World Junior Championships in Egypt earlier in Oct, where she suffered a Round-of-16 exit.“She wasn’t well for a week, but the rest after returning to India helped her recuperate. She then trained for a couple of days before travelling to Dakar, where she arrived on Oct 29,” her father Rabinarayan told TOI from Dakar on Saturday.“Of course, travelling and changing locations can be challenging, but overall, she is in good condition. We have been very careful with food, hydration and recovery. Those things become extremely important before a major tournament,” he added.However, conditions in Dakar have posed fresh challenges.“It’s very hot and there are lots of mosquitoes here. Also, since air-conditioners are not being provided, the athletes have to manage with just fans, which isn’t very helpful,” said Rabinarayan.Despite the difficulties, he remains confident of a strong showing from his daughter at her maiden Youth Olympics.“If you look at her performances in the last few tournaments, she has shown that she can compete at a high level even under difficult circumstances. Hopefully, things will continue to improve, and she will be able to give her best at the Youth Olympics,” he said.Although Tanvi fell short at the World Juniors, she has enjoyed an impressive season, winning her maiden senior title at the Pontianak International Challenge in Indonesia and finishing runner-up in Singapore before clinching the Asian U-17 girls’ singles crown in Chengdu, China.Her focus now, however, is firmly on Dakar, where she will face Australia’s Smrithi Adepu, Mexico’s Sara Patricia Delgado Gonzalez and South Korea’s Jang Yu Jeong in the group stage.“There is no pressure as such. She has already played many high-level tournaments. If you look at events in Singapore, Indonesia and other major competitions, those were in many ways tougher than this event,” said Rabinarayan. “She has gained valuable experience from competing against strong international players, so she knows how to handle big occasions.”While Tanvi is expected to progress comfortably from the group, Rabinarayan believes her toughest test could come in the semifinals against a Japanese opponent. If she reaches the final, she could face China’s Zhang Yixin, the girls’ singles champion at the 2026 BWF World Junior Championships.Having already conquered the Asian U-17 stage and tasted success on the senior circuit this year, Tanvi now stands one good week away from putting the perfect finishing touch on a breakthrough season.And if she can overcome the challenges that have marked her journey to Dakar, a Youth Olympic medal could be the reward.Get the latest Sports News and Live updates. Download the TOI app.