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India Today
18 hours ago
- Sport
- India Today
Part Saina, part Sindhu, 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma sets sights on Olympic glory
"She is made out of the best parts of Saina Nehwal and PV Sindhu," chuckled Tanvi Sharma's coach, Park Tae-Sang, after his disciple's silver-medal finish at the recently concluded US Open 2025. Park, who guided PV Sindhu to bronze at the Tokyo Olympics and gold at the Commonwealth Games, was immensely proud of his young protge's performance in the Super 300 praise of that magnitude comes from such a seasoned coach, you sit up and take notice."Actually, with Tanvi, I wanted to combine both Indian legends. When she is on court, she is like Saina Nehwal – she is tricky. She's also like PV Sindhu – she plays with aggression and is top level globally. So, I wanted Tanvi to learn the good points from both players," Park told The coach's high praise came after the 16-year-old Tanvi Sharma went on a rampage in the recently concluded tournament. The unseeded Indian shuttler, known mainly for her exploits in junior badminton categories, gunned down several top stars in the senior circuit to reach the final of the aggressive Tanvi caught her opponents off guard in almost every single match and reached the final of the tournament without losing a single game. Tanvi became one half of India's incredible success story at the US Open where 20-year-old Ayush Shetty caused major upsets in men's singles, helping India win its maiden badminton competition in tournament was bittersweet. She herself admitted after the match that nervousness got the better of her in the final of the tournament. Facing World No. 18 Beiwen Zhang, Tanvi lost 11-21, 21-16, after her final, when the adrenaline rush had passed, Tanvi reflected on her game and told this masthead that she should have minimised her unforced errors."There were a lot of unforced errors, and I need to work on them and also on my endurance," Tanvi the loss in a Super 300 final does not take away from what she had achieved in the last week. Coming from a modest family in Hoshiarpur, Punjab, Tanvi's goal this year was to graduate from junior competitions to playing the final of a major senior tournament. The fact that the loss in the final stings her like a bee, speaks volumes about the ambition she carries."It was actually my goal for a long time. I was waiting for the moment when I would be able to participate in a 300 tournament and play the final of such a tournament. I had good training before this tournament, so I didn't expect, of course, that I would reach the final. I just expected to give my best in every match," Tanvi HURRYadvertisementPark Tae-Sang, a veteran of the sport, stressed the importance of taking things slow with Tanvi. Park reminds that she is very young, only 16, still juggling between her academics and sports. He says that their focus is to take things step by step, as a sharp jump in level might also result in a steeper fall."She is still young, she's just sixteen, so she will get many chances in the future. I want to say that there is no hurry. She can slowly, slowly move forward," Park said in his usual chirpy then comes the warning."If she starts thinking, 'Oh, I'm the runner-up and got a silver medal in the 300 tournament, now I want to play more,' it can divert her focus, and she might fall again. So I want to do everything little by little," Park there is no doubt about the potential. A recognition that has been earned through a lot of hard work. Pursuing badminton in a modest family is a difficult endeavour. One of the top sporting minds in the country - Pullela Gopichand - has argued that parents, coming from humble backgrounds, should not even think about putting their kids into Tanvi has enjoyed her family's support. Her parents stuck by the process as both kids rose through the ranks, and did not give up, when Tanvi and her sister trained as non-scholarship trainees at the Gopichand Academy in Hyderabad between 2016-2021.'My husband is a government employee and we took the decision to take Tanvi, along with Radhika, to Hyderabad to train at the academy. Staying in such a big city is not easy and it took a lot of expenditure for us," Tanvi's mother, a former international volleyball player, told the Indian Express back in SINDHU FANThe trust paid off and Tanvi turned into a serial winner in the junior categories. A true PV Sindhu fan, Tanvi based her game on India's double Olympic medalist, attacking the shuttles with fierce power from the backcourt, and then through coaching in more recent years, found that additional tact in her game, similar to Saina Nehwal's."From the start, I've followed Sindhu didi a lot. From her aggression to her strokes on the court, she has motivated me a lot and made me believe that I can also do it. So I also try to follow her aggression and try to show that on the court," Tanvi spoke about her favourite is ecstatic to work with Park Tae-Sang, who coached Sindhu for nearly 4 years."I feel so blessed and happy to be training with him. I have got the best coach, and I just wish to work hard and keep moving forward," she said.A GOOD RELATIONSHIPThe duo have struck a chord. Tae-Sang jokes that Tanvi's work ethic and energy are so good that his old bones cannot cope."I get tired," said Park as Tanvi laughed in the background."Tanvi never takes a break. She is always training and wants to learn more. So, as a coach, I am very happy. Tanvi also has good talent and potential. I want her to be the next Sindhu and Saina of her generation, or even better—a player who is among the best in the world. I want to give my best to make her the best," he believes that given the correct training, Tanvi could turn out to be the biggest badminton star the country has ever revealed that the goal for Tanvi is a gold medal in the Los Angeles Olympics, set to be hosted in 2028. Tanvi will be 19 then. The coach concludes by stating that it is important for Tanvi to take it slow this year, in 2025. She has to play the World Junior Championships in October, and then make her transition to the senior categories."I've already discussed with Tanvi about the World Junior Championships in October. We will focus more on the junior tournament for now and give our 100 percent. After the championship, we will fully shift to senior tournaments. Our dream and aim is the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Our aim is to get a gold medal for India, as India has never won a gold medal in women's singles badminton. We will try, and I want to try with her," he added.- Ends
India Today
a day ago
- Sport
- India Today
Tall, fierce and focused: Ayush Shetty reminds Viktor Axelsen of his younger self
At 6-foot-4, Ayush Shetty cuts an imposing figure on the badminton court. His lean frame, steep jump smashes, and improved court coverage have caught attention of the world. Many have begun noting the resemblance to Denmark's towering Olympic champion Viktor Axelsen. The comparisons, of course, stop at the surface. While Axelsen has already conquered the sport, Ayush is just beginning to find his footing on the senior circuit. But there's no mistaking it: the 20-year-old from Mangalore is rising, and rising first big marker came at the US Open Super 300 in Iowa this June. In the semi-finals, Shetty faced off against World No. 6 Chou Tien Chen in a gripping three-game encounter. At one point, a 39-shot rally showed just how far Ayush has come: from being known for his aggressive attacking play to now demonstrating resilience, composed play from the back of the court, and mature shot selection. His hustle, including a beyond-believable flick from the back of the court while being off balance, earned him a sensational point and, eventually, a statement action sees Chou Tien Chen and Ayush Shetty go the distance.#BWFWorldTour #USOpen2025 BWF (@bwfmedia) June 29, 2025In the final on Sunday, he beat Canada's Brian Yang to claim his maiden senior international title, making him the first Indian to win a BWF Tour title in It was a breakthrough week for the 20-year-old, who has shown more than once this year that he has the ability to battle with the best at the highest level.'Ayush is from Mangalore, from a middle-class family,' recalls Vimal Kumar, former coach and one of the founders of Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy in Bengaluru, where Ayush now trains.'He moved to Bangalore about seven or eight years ago, when he was still an early teenager. Initially, he was training under Krishna Kumar at I-Sports — a very good feeder in Karnataka. We have an understanding with I-Sports — when players are good, they come and train here because we have better facilities. That's how Ayush came to our academy about five years back.'I-Sports and krishna Kumar got it spot on once again. At PPBA, Ayush thrived. After beginning his badminton journey at the age of eight, inspired by his father, Ayush's training and intensity sharpened. In 2023, he won bronze at the BWF World Junior Championships in Spokane, USA — only the sixth Indian to do so in men's singles.'Ayush was a junior champion and a couple of years ago, he got that World Junior bronze. This year, I feel he's done well on the world stage — at the Orleans Masters, Chinese Taipei... He has beaten players like Loh Kean Yew, Rasmus Gemke and Kidambi Srikanth. That's a good indication,' says VIKTOR AXELSENadvertisementA lot of Ayush's improvement has come through intentional exposure to world-class training.'Last year, before the Olympics, we took him for a three-week training programme in Marseille with Lakshya Sen,' Vimal says."He trained with the Popov brothers — Toma and Christo — and that gave him a lot of confidence. Prior to that, we also sent him to Dubai to train with Viktor Axelsen when Viktor was based there. Viktor was quite impressed. He said, 'Ayush reminds me of my younger days', because both are tall, Ayush is 6'4", just like Viktor.'With that physical presence comes a unique challenge, and a massive opportunity.A GOOD BADMINTON BRAIN'As a tall player, Ayush did face challenges,' admits Vimal. 'Earlier, he was vulnerable defensively, especially when opponents attacked his body or played parallel shots. But this year, he's worked a lot on his defence and improved. He's bridged those areas. He's got a good badminton brain.'That 'badminton brain' has become one of Ayush's defining assets, helping him adapt, mix his game, and not rely only on his power. Against Chou Tien Chen in Iowa, it was clear he could stay in the rallies and not just try to blow opponents off the singles, the net game and defence are vital. He used to only play at the net and try to hit his way out, but players were reading him. Now, he's playing long rallies, lifting to the back, mixing it up. That's important. His smashes are still some of the hardest on the circuit — and if he finds more consistency with his angles, like Viktor, he'll be very hard to beat.'Still, there are a lot of areas to improve. Afterall, Ayush is just beginning to get a feel of what it is to battle against and beat the best.'His core strength and leg stability need work because he's lanky,' Vimal explains. 'Sometimes he hits a bit wild, but with more matches, he'll refine that.'LEARNING TO FLY SOLOIn a bold move, Ayush's team sent him to the North American leg of the season, including the US Open and Canada Open, without a coach or support it was a deliberate call,' Vimal confirmed.'We wanted him to take more responsibility and see how he copes. These days, players have personal coaches and trainers — but this was a good test. We're quite happy he's managing on his own.'That independence is showing. After cracking the world's top 35, Ayush now has a target: break into the top 25 to consistently play Super 500, 750, and 1000-level GOOD COMPANYAt the Padukone Academy, Ayush trains alongside Kiran George and others under the watchful eye of coach Sagar Chopda.'There's been good progress,' Vimal says. 'I was especially pleased with the match he played against Chou Tien Chen — he lost the first narrowly, but came back really well. That shows good temperament. It's not easy to beat a player like Chou.'The Indian men's singles scene is stacked with talent — Lakshya Sen, Kiran George, Priyanshu Rajawat — but Vimal believes it's players like Ayush who now must push through.'At 19-20, you have to do that — like Lakshya did a couple of years ago. We have players stuck in the 30s (ranking), and I hope they come out of that. These four — Ayush, Lakshya, Kiran, Priyanshu — can take over from the current generation.'advertisementThe camaraderie among them is strong. 'Yes, they stay in touch. Today also we exchanged messages after watching his match last night. We told him not to celebrate too much — there are still five matches to go in Canada!' Vimal US Open title has marked him as India's next big hope. The Viktor Axelsen references may keep surfacing — but Ayush isn't chasing them. His real challenge begins now: building the mental resilience to block out the noise, the consistency to deliver week after week, and the hunger to keep he's not doing it alone. With a strong support system and a sharp group of peers around him, Ayush has all the tools to build on the spark that he has showed over the last couple of Vimal Kumar puts it: 'He's slowly maturing. I'm happy that at 20, he's won his first tournament and beaten good players. If he finds consistency, I am sure he will win a lot more medals for the country.'- Ends
Malaysia Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- Malaysia Sun
"Just wanted to play well, didn't expect the final": India's Tanvi Sharma reflects on US Open journey
By Shaurya Dutt Iowa [US], July 1 (ANI): Indian shuttler Tanvi Sharma said she 'didn't expect to play in the finals' after finishing as the runner-up in the US Open 2025 badminton tournament held in Council Bluffs, Iowa. In the women's singles category, 16-year-old Tanvi surprised everyone with a strong performance throughout the tournament. She defeated players ranked World No. 23, 40, 50, and 58 to reach the final, according to a release from the Badminton Association of India (BAI). Although she lost to top seed Beiwen Zhang of the USA in a hard-fought match (21-11, 16-21, 21-10), Tanvi made history by becoming the youngest Indian to reach a BWF World Tour final. Speaking to ANI about her performance, Tanvi said, 'It was a good tournament for me. I didn't expect to play in the finals. Because my starting round was 32, the first round itself was a tough match. I just expected to give my best. Whatever I was doing, I wanted to play well. I managed to win.' She also talked about her earlier matches, where she beat Vietnam's T.L. Nguyen (21-19, 21-9) in the Round of 32, Thailand's Opatniputh Pitchamon (21-18, 21-16) in the Round of 16, and Malaysia's L. Karupathevan (21-13, 21-16) in the quarterfinals. 'First round with the Vietnam girl. She was very experienced. In the second round, I played with Opatniputh Pitchamon. She was a former world junior champion. She was also very experienced. I managed to win. In the quarterfinals, I played with a Malaysian girl. She was also very good. I played my best and I won,' she said. Tanvi said her toughest matches were the first two rounds. 'I think the toughest match was the first (Round of 32) and second round (Round of 16). I thought both were tough because both were top-class players. I got a good experience by playing here. I just want to gain this experience. I want to play like this in the next tournaments,' she added. Looking ahead, Tanvi said she is preparing for the Asian Junior Championships and the World Junior Championships, both of which will be held in India. She also hopes to take part in higher-level tournaments in the future. 'I am playing the Asian Junior Championships next month. After that, there is the World Junior Championships. Both of these tournaments are in India. I will try to do well in that. I want to play well in the Super 300 and 500,' she concluded. (ANI)
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Teen talent Tanvi Sharma aims higher after US Open runner-up finish
**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image via Badminton Photo, India's Tanvi Sharma celebrates after winning a point against Ukraine's Polina Buhrova during her women's singles semi-final match at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament, in Iowa, USA. (Badminton Photo/Yves Lacroix via PTI Photo)(PTI06_29_2025_000030B) Bengaluru: Tanvi Sharma, 16, signalled the arrival of a new force in Indian women's badminton with a runner-up finish at the 2025 US Open Super 300 in Iowa on Sunday. The talent from Punjab showcased grit and flair throughout the tournament, registering wins over opponents ranked 23, 58, 50 and 40 in the world, before going down fighting to Beiwen Zhang in a gripping final. Topseeded Zhang won 21-11, 16-21, 21-10. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! Although Tanvi missed out on the title, the unseeded youngster made history, becoming the youngest from the country to reach a BWF World Tour Final. 'I've worked on my endurance and that's paid off. I'm very proud of myself, but I have a lot more to achieve. I want to replicate this performance in Super 750, 1000, and 500 tournaments,' the elated youngster told TOI from Iowa. Tanvi, who is now looking forward to the Asian Junior Championships next month, dominated higher-ranked opponents in the competition with her deceptive playing style, often drawing her opponents to the net before sending down crosscourt smashes to leave the experienced players second-guessing. Tanvi entered the final without dropping a game. Tanvi, who idolises PV Sindhu, has set her sights on the 2028 La Olympics. 'I want to win gold at the LA Olympics!' Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
Time of India
2 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
Shuttler Ayush Shetty clinches US Open Super 300 title
**EDS: THIRD PARTY IMAGE** In this image via Badminton Photo, India's Ayush Shetty returns to Chinese Taipei's Chou Tien-chen during the men's singles semi-final match at the US Open 2025 badminton tournament, in Iowa, USA. (Badminton Photo/Yves Lacroix via PTI Photo)(PTI06_29_2025_000029A) Bengaluru: Indian shuttler Ayush Shetty was on cloud nine after securing the US Open Super 300 title in Iowa, USA, on Sunday. Almost 8,500km away in India, it was nearly 3 am on Monday when the Karnataka player, who had just won his maiden BWF title, dialled his father Ramprakash Shetty who was patiently waiting for the call from his son. The victory was a big one not only for the Shetty's, but a much-needed title for India whose top shuttlers have been in poor form this year. At a time when stars like PV Sindhu, Lakshya Sen and HS Prannoy have struggled, Ayush has given new hope to Indian fans. It was the first international singles title won by an Indian this year. In the process, Ayush, a bronze medallist in the 2023 World junior championships, has announced his arrival on the big stage. Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! His 21-18, 21-13 win over Canada's Brian Yang in the final might look straightforward, but it was a case of grit and persistence during the 47minute clash. Ayush, a product of the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA) here, even brushed off a cut on his right knee after a fall in the opening game. Despite some bleeding — he dismissed it as 'nothing major, just a scratch' — the 20-year-old Indian kept his focus and found the way to his first senior title. 'This title means a lot, feels great to win my first one. I hope to deliver this form in the remainder of the season and grab more titles. This will act as a confidence booster for me,' Ayush told TOI before boarding the flight to Canada, where he will be back in action on Tuesday. Ayush, who is an attacking player with a solid net game, found it tough to begin with as his ploy did not help him score points in the early exchanges. There was a serious need for him to outthink Yang's strong defence. With the first game going neck-and-neck for the first 12 points, Ayush tweaked it a little, using his half smashes and drops to take a 13-7 lead and eventually won the game. The 6' 4' player carried on the momentum into the second game to grab a 7-2 lead. He then powered his way to the title despite Yang attempting a comeback midway into the second game. Game On Season 1 continues with Mirabai Chanu's inspiring story. Watch Episode 2 here.
