Indian Badminton Stars Set to Compete at 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar

Dakar, October 30 (Daily Kiran) : Young badminton players Dev Rooparelia and Tanvi Patra will represent India at the 2026 Youth Olympic Games, taking place in Dakar from November 1 to 5. The badminton events will be held as part of the games, which run from October 31 to November 13 in the capital of Senegal.

The draw for the badminton competitions has been announced. Dev Rooparelia, seeded second, has been placed in Group H for the men’s singles event. His group includes Shourya Gullya from Canada, Petr Briza from the Czech Republic, and Sheikh Ahmedou Bamba Diagne from Senegal.

In the women’s singles event, third-seeded Tanvi Patra is in Group F. She will compete against Smriti Adepu from Australia, Sara Patricia Delgado Gonzalez from Mexico, and Zhang Yu Zhi Yong from Korea. The badminton competition will feature both men’s and women’s singles events, with 32 players in each category. The format includes a group stage followed by knockout rounds.

Players have been divided into eight groups of four. Each athlete will face the other three members of their group. The winner from each group will advance to the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals and medal matches. The gold and bronze medals will be contested on November 5.

Both Indian athletes aim to top their groups and secure a place in the knockout rounds, hoping to make a significant impact on the Youth Olympic stage. Additionally, India will be represented in boxing by Gunjan from Haryana in the women’s 48 kg category and L. Ambedkar Maitei from Manipur in the men’s 50 kg category. India has secured two quotas in boxing—one for men and one for women—after both boxers won silver medals at the qualifying championship.