Riyan Malhan Wins UAE’s First Youth Olympics Gold

The hug came seconds after 16-year-old Riyan Malhan won the biggest title in UAE Youth Olympics history. The UAE badminton player crossed the net to embrace French finalist Mady Sow, turning a close match into a moment of respect and celebration. Malhan had just won the boys’ singles final 21-17, 21-18 in Dakar on Thursday. ^3,5

That final capped a run in which Malhan beat players from Sweden, Greece and Malaysia in his group. He then won his quarter-final against Thailand and semifinal against China. In that semifinal, he beat Hong Tian Yue 2-0. Sow started the final quickly, but Malhan caught up and pulled away late in each game. The 16-year-old later told the Olympic Information Service that he had a high fever before competing and did not feel fit. The UAE Badminton Federation said he won all six matches without dropping a game. ^1,6,7

Those six wins brought the UAE its first gold at the Youth Olympic Games, a contest for athletes aged 15 to 18. The result also made badminton a new source of national pride for a country. Its only earlier Youth Olympics medal was showjumper Omar Al Marzooqi’s silver in Buenos Aires in 2018. Malhan’s victory followed his Asian under-17 singles title in Chengdu, China, and his team’s sixth-place finish at the Junior World Championships. It is the UAE’s second Youth Olympics medal. ^4,7

That second medal was celebrated in Dakar, where UAE Ambassador to Senegal Saeed Hamdan Al Naqbi and Olympic Committee executive director Mohammed bin Darwish attended the medal ceremony. The gold marks a major step in Malhan’s young career, following his Asian title and a bronze at the 2024 Asian junior championships. The Dakar Youth Olympics continue through November 13, with Malhan’s win already securing the UAE’s historic first gold. ⁸