news details |
|
|
| Tanvi Sharma eyes junior titles before full-fledged senior switch | | |  NEW DELHI, July 7: Rising Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma says she needs to sharpen her net play to target bigger BWF events in future, but her immediate goal is to clinch the Asian Junior and World Junior Championships titles this year.
The 16-year-old from Punjab became the youngest Indian to reach a BWF World Tour final when she finished runner-up at the US Open Super 300 tournament last month.
"It was an amazing week for me. I am happy about it. But now I am focusing on my other tournaments. I am hoping to do my best in Super 500 and 750 events as well," Tanvi told PTI in an interview.
"I think that week, I was very aggressive in my game. My movement was very fast and my smashes were very good. That motivated me a lot."
Tanvi didn't take long to make an impression after picking up badminton from her volleyball-playing mother Meera, who learned coaching basics to train Tanvi and her elder sister Radhika. She became U-15 and U-17 national champion before finishing runner-up in U-19 nationals in 2022.
Last year, the bubbly youngster won silver at the Asian U-15 Junior Championships in China, clinched the Kotak India International title, and finished runner-up at the Senior Nationals in Guwahati.
At just 15, Tanvi was part of India's gold medal-winning women's team at the Badminton Asia Team Championships and was also the youngest member of the Uber Cup squad in Chengdu earlier this year.
She is confident about her chances at the upcoming Asian Junior Championships in Indonesia from July 18-22 and the World Junior Championships to be held in Guwahati from October 13-19.
"I am confident about the Asian Juniors and World Juniors. The world juniors is happening in Guwahati at the national centre where I do practice. So I am a bit confident and will play my best there, hoping for a medal," said the Hoshiarpur-born shuttler.
"For me, these two junior tournaments are the main focus. After that, I will stop playing juniors and focus on Super 500 and 300 events in seniors."
Tanvi said her US Open final run has given her belief that she can compete against the world's best.
"I think I can do it. It's not hard for me. But I have to improve my net game and I am focusing on that now."
Both Tanvi and her sister trained at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad from 2016 to 2021 before financial constraints and COVID-19 forced them to return to Hoshiarpur. (PTI) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
