Youth Olympic Games (YOG) will be held in Dakar from 31 October to 13 November, featuring a total of 25 sports. Finland will be represented by four athletes, one of whom is Ananya Kandala (born 2010). Ananya competed for Finland in the women’s singles badminton event.

Finland’s representative, Ananya Kandala, reflected on her experience at the Youth Olympic Games as follows:

Sharing the Olympic stage with such world class players was truly inspiring!

Ananya is accompanied on the trip by Badminton Finland’s head coach Nishant Kautekr, who commented on Finland’s participation in the Youth Olympic Games as follows:

These Youth Olympic Games are a special event for both Finland as a country and Badminton Finland as a sporting organization. Ananya Kandala was invited to compete in the women’s singles event, which features only 32 players from around the world. This is an incredible opportunity and privilege for her.

Ananya and Nishant arrived in Dakar on 28 November. Before the competition, the Finnish team held two training sessions together with the Estonian team. The opening ceremony of the Youth Olympic Games took place on 31 October, where Ananya had the honour of serving as Finland’s flag bearer.

The opening ceremony was the most memorable moment for me personally, as Ananya was Finland’s flag bearer. Seeing a badminton player carry Finland’s flag at the Youth Olympic Games was a proud moment for our sport," Nishant commented.

Photo: OIS/Kieran Cleeves

Finland was drawn into a challenging group alongside China, Denmark, and Portugal. The first day of competition took place on 1 November, when Finland faced China and the current junior world champion, Yi Xin Zhang.

We gave our best, but she proved too strong for us and the other players in the group," Nishant commented on the match, which ended in a 2–0 defeat.

On Monday, Ananya faced Denmark’s Sophia Loudrup. The match ended in a 2-0 victory for the Danish player. On Tuesday, she took on Portugal’s Rafaela Silva, who also won the match 2-0. In total, Ananya played three matches at the Youth Olympic Games, but unfortunately was unable to secure a victory. Full results can be found here.

Below, Ananya reflects on her experience in Dakar:

To be honest, I am disappointed with how my first, second, and final matches turned out. I struggled quite a bit with mistakes on the court throughout the group stage, whuch was tough mentally. Going up against world-class opponents showed me exactly what it takes to compete at the highest level. I am walking away from this tournament with a completely different mindset, clear areas to work on, and absolute motivation to get back to training and improve my game.

However, Ananya showed determination and put in a strong effort throughout. There is plenty to work on and improve, but competing at an event like the Youth Olympic Games has been a valuable experience. The competition is now over for the Finnish badminton team, and we would like to thank Ananya for proudly representing Finland. However, Kandala and Kautekar will remain in Dakar a little longer and have the opportunity to continue enjoying this outstanding event.

In Kautekar’s view, the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar have been great experience:

The event is a great success. Senegal has put tremendous effort into organizing it and developing impressive facilities. We hope to have more opportunities to participate in events like this, helping us raise the profile of badminton in Finland.

Ananya would also like to extend her thanks:

Thank you to my coach, Suomen Sulkapalloliitto, and everyone who supported me along the way. I am more determined than ever to take these lessons forward into my next chapter!

Cover photo: OIS/Remi Vallat