Shuttler beats France’s Mady Sow in Dakar before sharing a warm embrace, captured in an Olympics video.
Dubai: Riyan Malhan made history on Thursday by winning the UAE’s first-ever Youth Olympic Games gold medal in Dakar, before sharing a warm embrace with his opponent in a moment captured on the official Olympics Instagram account.
Malhan defeated France’s Mady Sow 21-17, 21-18 in the boys’ badminton singles final, securing a landmark achievement for UAE sport.
After the closely fought match, Malhan walked towards Sow and embraced him across the net in a display of sportsmanship.
“When history meets sporting spirit,” the official Olympics account wrote while sharing the video.
“Riyan Malhan makes history by winning the men’s badminton singles final, earning the UAE its first-ever gold medal at a Youth Olympic Games,” the post said.
The account also drew attention to his reaction after the victory: “He immediately goes to hug his opponent in a beautiful act of respect and fair play.”
Sow kept the pressure on Malhan throughout the final, with the second game particularly closely contested before the UAE shuttler sealed the win. The French player took home the silver medal.
The Youth Olympic triumph adds to Malhan’s growing list of achievements. He previously won the boys’ under-17 singles title at the 2026 Asian U17 and U15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China.
Top seed Malhan defeated Hong Kong, China’s Zhan Shing Yui 15-5, 15-9 in the final. He also claimed bronze in the boys’ under-17 doubles, finishing the tournament with two medals.
The Asian title came two years after he won bronze in the under-15 category at the 2024 edition of the championships.
His victory in Dakar adds a Youth Olympic gold to his growing list of achievements, marking another milestone for the young shuttler and UAE badminton.
