"I want to become like Sindhu" - 15-year-old prodigy Tanvi Sharma on her inspiration

Tanvi Sharma, all of 15, was awestruck watching Olympic medalist PV Sindhu play at the Badminton Asia Team Championships (BATC). She was a part of the squad but could not play as she was nursing an injury at the time.

The time she spent watching PV Sindhu at the BATC in Shah Alam, Malaysia, is something she treasures almost as much as any of her other accomplishments, which, by no means, is a small list.

"I want to become like Sindhu didi, she is my inspiration. I watch all her matches. It was great to just be around her in Malaysia, she was very friendly," said Tanvi in a telephonic interview with PTI.

The Punjab-born athlete hails from a sporting family. Her sister Radhika is a prominent badminton player and her mother Meera dabbled in volleyball and coached the two sisters.

Tanvi made an impression very quickly, placing second in the U19 final in 2022. She also won the national titles for the U15 and U17 divisions. Along with taking home the championship at Kotak India International, the fierce athlete bagged the silver medal at the Asian U15 Junior Championships, held in China last year. She also placed second at the Senior Nationals in Guwahati to cap off a remarkable year.

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Tanvi Sharma receives latter from PM Narendra Modi

The proudest moment in her short career so far was when she received a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He lauded the performances of the youngster, stating that she is an icon of Fit India and the new generation.

Tanvi pledged to keep aiming for greatness in the game and saw the letter as an acknowledgment of her diligence and commitment to badminton. She shared her emotions after getting the letter from the PM, expressing how proud and happy she was, adding that it gave her a sense of honor and achievement.

She is the youngest member of India's women's squad for the Thomas and Uber Cup to be held in Chengdu, China, from April 28 to May 5.