India's Badminton Campaign at Youth Olympics 2026: Draw Revealed

New Delhi, October 30: The draw for the badminton events at the Youth Olympic Games 2026 has been released, confirming that young players Dev Rupareliya and Tanvi Patri will lead India's badminton challenge. The competition in Dakar will take place from November 1 to 5.

The wider Youth Olympic Games will run in Senegal's capital and largest city, Dakar, from October 31 to November 13.

In the men's singles, Dev Rupareliya, seeded second, has been placed in Group H. He will meet Canada's Shaurya Gullaiya, Czech Republic's Petr Bridza and Senegal's Sheikh Ahmadou Bamba Diagne in the group.

Tanvi Patri, seeded third in women's singles, has been put in Group F. Her opponents will be Australia's Smriti Adepu, Mexico's Sara Patricia Delgado Gonzalez and Korea's Jang Yu-jeong.

The format features 32 players each in the men's and women's singles. The event will be played in two stages, starting with groups of four players each, where every athlete plays the other three in the group. Group winners advance to the quarterfinals, followed by semifinals and the medal matches. Gold and bronze medals will be decided on November 5.

The two Indian players will be looking to win their groups and qualify for the knockout rounds, hoping to make a memorable mark on the Youth Olympic platform.

India's other representatives include Gunjan of Haryana in the women's 48 kg category and L. Ambedkar Meitei of Manipur in the men's 50 kg category. India has also booked two boxing quotas, one in the men's and one in the women's division. Both boxers sealed their spots after winning silver medals in the qualifying championship.