Tanvi Patri’s never-say-die spirit

Bengaluru: If you are a follower of Indian Olympic sports, watching your team lose when it matters the most is an agonisingly recurring pattern. More often than not, things just fall apart at the decisive stages, no matter how good the beginning is.This perhaps explains why we have so many fourth-place or almost-won-it stories to tell.Tanvi Patri’s final match against China’s Zhang Yi Xin seemed to almost break that mould as the 15-year-old Bengaluru-born shuttler recovered from a 10-19 deficit to a 20-all in the decider before luck abandoned her at the crucial juncture.While the Indian settled for a silver, her performance made many hopeful that the status quo will change in the years to come, earning accolades from the likes of PV Sindhu.From food poisoning to podium: Historic badminton silver for 15-yr-old Tanvi Patri at Youth OlympicsWhen asked what was going through her mind in those crunch moments, the calm persona of the Grade X student, who could allay all the negative thoughts when the odds stacked against her, shone through.“(While trailing) I was just thinking that I should focus on one point at a time and not think about the result too much,” said Tanvi during a media interaction facilitated by Badminton Association of India.“And I should be reducing my errors, especially from the faster side (of the drift at the venue), because my lifts and all were going out on the second set. I was just thinking of trying to play positive, that I shouldn’t give up, I should just give my best.”Turns out, the idea of never giving away any freebies on the court is ingrained deep in her when she explains why she is a fan of maverick shuttlers like Tai Tzu Ying, An Se Young and Viktor Axelsen.“She (An Se) wins all the tournaments, and she doesn’t give up even if she’s down in score. She gives her best and somehow she manages to win the game. She knows when to play the correct stroke, she doesn’t forcefully play some random strokes.“(Also), I think Viktor Axelsen, and Lin Dan and Tai Tzu-ying… I like their attitude on the court and the way they play, and they just don’t give up in points easily even if they’re down, they just try to give their best.”

Source: Deccan Herald