New Delhi: Tanvi Patri's foundation in badminton was built in China, where her father worked as an IT professional. For three years, Tanvi trained in Taicang, Jiangsu Province, under different coaches and competed in age-group tournaments in China. The experience shaped her resilience and skills in a highly competitive environment.

So, when Tanvi takes on China's World Junior champion Zhang Yi Xin in the final of the Dakar Youth Olympics on Thursday, she will be on familiar territory.

In the semi-final, Tanvi produced a gritty display, beating Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe 21-14, 11-21, 21-19 in a thrilling match.

Before Tanvi, HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen had won silver medals in the men's singles event at the 2010 and 2018 editions, in Singapore and Buenos Aires Youth Olympics respectively. The 15-year-old is now the first Indian women's singles player to reach the final and will be aiming to become the first Indian to win the title. A title victory would add to her recent run of international titles and enhance her reputation as an emerging talent.

"My father used to take me to a badminton academy in China, where I picked up the sport. I loved playing badminton. What I learnt in my initial years was foot movement and technical skills. In China, coaches pay a lot of attention to these skills," Tanvi told HT.

In 2020, she moved to Odisha with her family and is now training at one of India's top academies in Bengaluru.

"Representing India at the Youth Olympics is a special and proud moment for me. I played a lot of tournaments this year, and it has helped me gain valuable match experience and a better understanding of my game. I am well prepared, both physically and mentally," she said.

Earlier this year, she won the girls' singles title at the Asian U17 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China, beating three Chinese opponents en route to the title. She defeated China's Zhou Jing Li in an almost hour-long opening match, Lin Heng Men in the quarter-final and Yu Ying Gui in another three-game thriller in the semi-final.

"Our family was in China because my father (Rabinarayan) was working there. I actually spent my early childhood training and winning my very first junior titles there. Returning to the same country where my badminton journey began, this time representing India on the continental stage, was special," said Tanvi, who looks up to badminton legend Lin Dan.

She has also competed in International Challenge events in Indonesia and Singapore this year, making an impression on the senior international circuit. She won the title in Indonesia and finished runner-up in Singapore.

"The biggest challenge in transitioning from junior to senior badminton is the increase in the level of competition, physically, mentally and technically, because senior players are more experienced and stronger. You have to maintain high energy on the court, and mentally, you have to be strong. The confidence built from reaching the final in Singapore created positive momentum," she said.