Riyan Malhan wins UAE’s first Youth Olympic gold and embraces his rival

Riyan Malhan secured the UAE’s first-ever Youth Olympic Games gold medal in Dakar on November 5, then walked towards the opponent he had just defeated and embraced him across the net. It was a gesture that gave a historic sporting achievement a memorable human moment.

The 16-year-old beat France’s Mady Sow 21–17, 21–18 in the boys’ badminton singles final at Dakar Arena in Diamniadio, Senegal. The match lasted 39 minutes and brought an unbeaten campaign to a close for the UAE player.

Footage of the embrace was shared by the official Olympics Instagram account, placing Malhan’s sportsmanship alongside the significance of his victory. Sow left with silver, while Malhan entered the UAE’s sporting history.

A golden run through Dakar

Malhan arrived at the tournament as the third seed and progressed without dropping a game. His final opponent, Sow, was the top seed, making the decisive match a meeting between two of the competition’s leading contenders.

The route to gold had required a demanding day of knockout badminton. On November 4, Malhan defeated Thailand’s Punnatat Prempunpong in the quarter-finals before overcoming China’s fifth-seeded Hong Tian Yue in the semi-finals. Hong subsequently claimed bronze.

Malhan had opened his campaign with a 21–14, 21–14 victory over Sweden’s Felus Ding in Group F. From that first match to the final, he maintained the consistency needed to move through the draw without conceding a single game.

Building on an Asian breakthrough

The Dakar title follows another important achievement this year: victory in the boys’ under-17 singles at the Asian U17 and U15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China.

Seeded first in that competition, Malhan defeated Hong Kong China’s Zhan Shing Yui 15–5, 15–9 in the final. He also collected bronze in the under-17 boys’ doubles, returning from Chengdu with two medals.

That success came two years after his under-15 bronze at the 2024 edition of the championships. His progression from an Asian junior podium to a continental title and now Youth Olympic gold shows how steadily his international results have developed.

Preparation, composure and family support

Before the medal was won, Malhan had spoken openly about his ambition to compete for gold in Dakar. He described his Asian achievements as a source of confidence and the expectations around his participation as motivation to perform.

His preparation covered physical fitness, technical consistency and tactical development. Experience against opponents with different playing styles also formed part of that work, alongside learning to manage pressure and reduce errors.

He travelled with two coaches, including his father, whose understanding of his game provided an important source of support. Malhan also emphasised respecting every opponent and maintaining concentration until the final point.

He had another hope for his appearance in Senegal: that it would encourage more young Emiratis to try badminton and believe they could compete internationally.

A landmark for UAE sport

The gold is the UAE’s second medal in Youth Olympic Games history, following equestrian Omar Al Marzooqi’s showjumping silver at Buenos Aires 2018.

It also arrives during the country’s largest Youth Olympic campaign since its first appearance at Singapore 2010. The UAE delegation in Dakar comprises 12 athletes competing across nine sports, with the Games running from October 31 to November 13.

For Malhan, the ambition he expressed before the competition has become a result: a gold medal for the UAE, earned without dropping a game.