KUALA LUMPUR: A badminton talent factory in the United Arab Emirates? Riyan Malhan is certainly making a strong case for it.
The 16-year-old, who trained at the Lee Chong Wei Academy in Malaysia, made history by winning the UAE's first Youth Olympic gold medal in Dakar, Senegal, on Thursday.
The world junior No. 3 beat France's top-ranked Mady Sow 21-17, 21-18 in 39 minutes to capture the boys' singles title, putting a country better known for its football and other sports on the badminton map.
Riyan showed nerves of steel, recovering from an 11-7 deficit in the opening game before overturning an 18-16 disadvantage in the second with five consecutive points to seal the title.
