By Admin 
Around 2 p.m. in Guwahati on Sunday, India’s Tanvi Sharma and Thailand’s Anyapat Phichitpreechasak started warming up on adjacent practice courts at the National Centre of Excellence, ahead of their World junior badminton championships final.
Tanvi, looking to become only the second Indian ever after Saina Nehwal (Pune, 2008) to win gold, stayed focused on her stretching and drills while also receiving high-fives from teammates and blessings from various host officials. For Phichitpreechasak, there were no such interruptions.
One-and-a-half hours later, face to face on the Centre Court, the second seed silenced a near-capacity crowd as she clinically defeated the top-seeded Indian 15-7, 15-12 in 28 minutes. Phichitpreechasak is the third Thai girl after Ratchanok Intanon (2009-11) and Pitchamon Opatniput (2023) to clinch the title.
The 17-year-old Phichitpreechasak’s wristy play and balletic movement didn’t allow Tanvi’s deceptive game to work its magic.
“She was reading well. I was hitting many deceptive shots, but she knew where I was hitting,” said Tanvi, the third Indian woman medallist after Aparna Popat (silver in 1996) and Saina (silver in 2006 and gold in 2008).
Tanvi… bittersweet.
| Photo Credit:
RITURAJ KONWAR
After a close start in the opener, Phichitpreechasak won seven straight points to take a 13-5 lead. Her net play and timely drop shots troubled the Indian.
In the second game, the teenager from Hoshiarpur even tried the short serve, as opposed to her usual toss one, indicating the need to find something her Thai opponent wasn’t expecting.
Tanvi led 6-1 in the second game, but Phichitpreechasak forced an impressive comeback to level the score at 8-8 and didn’t look back.
China’s Liu Yang Ming Yu, coached by former Olympic and World Champion Chen Long, took down top-seeded Indonesian Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah 15-10, 15-11 to win the boys’ singles title.
India, which hosted the World junior championships after 17 years, finished with two medals – a historic first-ever bronze in the team event and Tanvi’s silver in girls’ singles.
The results (final): Singles: Girls: Anyapat Phichitpreechasak (Tha) bt Tanvi Sharma 15-7, 15-12; Boys: Liu Yang Ming Yu (Chn) bt Mohd. Zaki Ubaidillah (Idn) 15-10, 15-11.
Doubles: Girls: Tan Ke Xuan & Wei Yue Yue (Chn) bt Zi Yu Low & Noraqilah Maisarah (Mas) 15-13, 19-17; Boys: Chen Jun Ting & Liu Jun Rong (Chn) bt Cho Hyeong Woo & Hyeong Woo Lee (Kor) 16-14, 15-12; Mixed: Lee Hyeong Woo & Cheon Hye In (Kor) bt Hung Bing Fu & Chou Yun An (Tpe) 15-9, 11-15, 15-10.