Badminton: India's Tanvi Sharma, Vennala Kalagotla win historic bronze at Asia Junior Championships 2025

India’s junior badminton circuit had a big moment on Saturday (Jul 26) as shuttlers Tanvi Sharma and Vennala Kalagotla clinched a bronze medal in the women’s singles event at the Badminton Asia Junior Individual Championships 2025. It's the first time two Indian singles shuttlers have stood on the podium in the same edition of this continental event. Held in Sukarta, Indonesia, from July 18 to 27, the tournament saw both Indian players produce some of their finest performances.

Tanvi Sharma, seeded second, took on China’s Yin Yi Qing, the eighth seed. After losing the opening game 13-21, Tanvi bounced back early in the second with a 6-1 lead. Yin bounced back to tie the match at 8-8 and capitalised on the momentum, ultimately sealing the victory in straight sets with scores of 21-13 and 21-14, leaving Tanvi with a well-deserved bronze medal. Despite her semi-final loss, Tanvi had a dominant run in the tournament, winning every match without dropping a single game.

On the other side, Vennala Kalagotla showed utter commitment and dedication in her semifinal clash against China’s Liu Si Ya. Down by 15-20 in the second game after dropping the first, the young Indian saved three match points to bring the scoreline to 18-20. However, a crucial error under pressure handed the match to Liu at 21-15 and 21-18, and ultimately, Vennala had to settle for a bronze medal.

Earlier in the quarters, Tanvi edged past Indonesia’s Thalita Ramadhani Wiryawan with the scoreline of 21-19, 21-14 in just 35 minutes. On the other hand, Vennala’s route to the semis was tougher, needing nearly an hour to defeat Thailand’s Janyaporn Meepanthong in a thrilling three-setter: 21-18, 17-21, 21-17.

These two medals demonstrate the strength of India's emerging badminton circuit. Recently, a 17-year-old Indian shuttler shocked the badminton world by defeating Rio Olympics silver medallist PV Sindhu and advancing to the top eight at the China Open.