Indian shuttler Tanvi Patri raises concerns over lack of AC and mosquitoes at Dakar Youth Olympics
Fifteen-year-old Indian badminton player Tanvi Patri and her father Rabinarayan reported on November 1, 2026, that athletes at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal, are enduring high temperatures, an absence of air-conditioning and mosquito problems in their accommodation. Khel Now cited a Times of India report for the account.
After the accommodation and travel issues at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, the Times of India report described fresh difficulties for Indian athletes at Youth Olympics 2026 in Dakar. The report says air-conditioners have not been provided despite hot conditions, and that athletes are having to manage with fans; Rabinarayan was quoted saying, "It’s very hot and there are lots of mosquitoes here. Also, since air-conditioners are not being provided, the athletes have to manage with just fans, which isn’t very helpful."
Tanvi arrives in Dakar after a round-of-16 exit at the Junior World Championships and after falling ill at the World Junior Championships in Egypt in October, the report states. Her father said he expects her to produce a gritty performance despite the circumstances, adding, "If you look at her performances in the last few tournaments, she has shown that she can compete at a high level even under difficult circumstances. Hopefully, things will continue to improve, and she will be able to give her best at the Youth Olympics."
The report lists Tanvi in Group F of the girls' singles draw, where she will meet Australia’s Smrithi Adepu, Mexico’s Sara Patricia Delgado Gonzalez and South Korea’s Jang Yu Jeong in the group stage. Rabinarayan also downplayed external pressure and pointed to her prior international experience, saying, "There is no pressure as such. She has already played many high-level tournaments. If you look at events in Singapore, Indonesia and other major competitions, those were in many ways tougher than this event," and, "She has gained valuable experience from competing against strong international players, so she knows how to handle big occasions."
The report relays his view that she could face a Japanese opponent in the semi-finals and, if she reached the final, might meet China’s Zhang Yixin — identified in the article as the girls’ singles champion at the 2026 BWF World Junior Championships. The article also records Tanvi’s earlier achievements, noting she won the Asian U-17 tournament and had delivered success at the senior nationals earlier this year.
The Youth Olympic Games, originally scheduled for 2022, are being held in Dakar from October 31 to November 13, 2026, and the report notes India is being represented by 17 athletes. A Khel Now-embedded social post quoted in the article stated that "Tanvi Patri and Dev Ruparelia will compete in Dakar, Senegal, from 1st to 5th November 2026."
Tanvi has been drawn in Group F and will contest the group-stage matches against Smrithi Adepu, Sara Patricia Delgado Gonzalez and Jang Yu Jeong; the article’s cited social post indicates she and fellow Indian Dev Ruparelia will compete in Dakar between 1st and 5th November 2026 within the Games that run from October 31 to November 13.