- Taniya finished runner-up in the women's 75kg beach wrestling event.
- The Indian wrestler won all four bouts before the final.
- Taniya lost 1-2 to China's Min Zhao in the title clash at Saly Beach West.
India's Taniya scripted history at the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games by becoming the country's first-ever beach wrestling medallist at the global youth multi-sport event. The Indian wrestler secured a silver medal in the women's 75kg category after narrowly losing to China's Min Zhao in the gold-medal bout on Saturday, November 7.
Taniya went down 1-2 in the final at Saly Beach West, missing out on the historic gold medal. However, her performance marked a significant milestone for Indian wrestling, with beach wrestling making its debut at the Youth Olympic Games in Dakar.
The Indian had started the final positively, taking a 1-0 lead against Zhao. The Chinese wrestler, however, fought back to level the score before securing the decisive point to win the contest through Victory by Points (VPO).
Zhao entered the final with an impressive international record, having won the women's 69kg freestyle gold at the 2025 U17 World Wrestling Championships. She eventually became the inaugural Youth Olympic beach wrestling champion in the 75kg category.
A hard-fought Youth Olympic medal! 🇮🇳🥈 Taniya reflects on a hard-fought fight, pride on the podium, and a promise to come back stronger for the #LA28 💪 https://t.co/djW7U8Iqlv
— Olympic Khel ™ (@OlympicKhel) November 7, 2026
Taniya's Unbeaten Run To The Youth Olympics Final
Taniya enjoyed an impressive campaign in Dakar, winning all four of her bouts before the final. She began with a 3-1 victory over Germany's Mia Bauer in the group stage before defeating Greece's Vasiliki Karavanou to continue her winning run.
The Indian wrestler carried her momentum into the knockout rounds, defeating Estonia's Merily Vaester 4-1 in the quarter-finals. She then produced another strong performance in the semi-finals, beating the United States' Matilda Ann Hruby 3-1 to book her place in the gold-medal clash.
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Hruby had arrived in Dakar as a strong contender after winning the women's 75kg title at the 2026 U17 World Beach Wrestling Championships in Azerbaijan. Taniya's victory over the American further underlined the significance of her campaign.
The silver medal also adds to Taniya's growing international credentials. She had previously won bronze in the women's 69kg freestyle category at the 2026 U17 World Wrestling Championships in Baku, Azerbaijan.
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India's Medal Tally At Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics
Taniya's historic silver took India's medal tally at the Dakar Youth Olympic Games to seven, comprising three silver and four bronze medals.
Khushbu Rajakbhai Darjada and badminton player Tanvi Patri had also secured silver medals for India. Meanwhile, swimmer Dhinidhi Desinghu won two bronze medals, while Tirthank Pegu and Rajkumari Lanchenbi Chanu contributed further bronze finishes.
Taniya's achievement has ensured that India features on the podium in the discipline's first appearance at the event.