DAKAR — India's Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri continued their fine run and qualified for the quarterfinals of the badminton competitions at the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, securing contrasting wins in their final round-robin preliminary league matches on Tuesday, IANS reported. Both players had already won their first two matches in their respective groups in the men's and women's singles preliminary rounds.

Source: IANS

Ruparelia, seeded second, overcame Canada's Shaurya Gullaiya in a Men's Singles Group H clash on Court 3, fighting back from losing the first game to win 23-25, 21-19, 21-11, IANS reported. The win took him to the top of the four-player Group H with an all-win record across his three matches and into Wednesday's quarterfinals. In the Women's Singles Group F, third seed Tanvi Patri beat another player of Indian origin, Australia's Smrithi Adepu, 21-4, 21-12 in quick time in a winner-takes-all clash, topping Group F without dropping a single game across the group stage, IANS reported.

Source: IANS

23-25, 21-19, 21-11Dev Ruparelia's comeback win over Canada's Shaurya Gullaiya, Group H (IANS)
21-4, 21-12Tanvi Patri's straight-games win over Australia's Smrithi Adepu, Group F (IANS)
3-0 / 3-0Both Indians' unbeaten group records — Ruparelia in Group H, Patri in Group F
32Players in each singles draw, in eight groups of four; only group winners advance (IANS)

The Badminton World Federation (BWF), in its official quarterfinal preview, confirmed both Indians in the last eight and set their next tests: Patri faces Thailand's Kungkaew Kakanik, who has won the Philippines Junior, Malaysia Junior and Pathumthanee Junior International titles this season, while Ruparelia faces China's Hong Tian Yue. The BWF noted that Patri is regarded as one of India's brightest young talents and has already made her presence felt at senior tournaments. The other men's quarterfinals pair top seed Mady Sow of the host continent's draw against the USA's Rithik Rasamsetti, and Chuang Yung Neng of Chinese Taipei against Korea's Park Jung Bin, the BWF said.

Source: Badminton World Federation

The format leaves no margin: the singles draws have 32 players each, split into eight groups of four, and only the group winner from each group advances to the knockouts, IANS reported. Following the quarterfinals, the semifinals were also scheduled for Wednesday, the BWF said, with the gold and bronze medal matches to be decided on November 5, IANS reported. India has already won medals at these Games in swimming and judo; badminton now offers a double-medal chance, with both Indians one win from the semifinals. Sources: IANS, Badminton World Federation, Nation Press.

Source: Nation Press