Coming from a family of academicians, Riyan Malhan, a Dubai Gem Private School student, could have aspired to earn a scholarship at Harvard or Stanford.
Riyan does take his studies seriously, attending every class five days a week in Dubai. But it’s beyond the confines of his classrooms that this 14-year-old found his true love — badminton.
A teen prodigy, Riyan made history on Saturday by becoming the first player from the UAE and West Asia to clinch a medal at the Badminton Asia U17 & U15 Junior Championships in Chengdu, China.
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Riyan settled for the bronze after losing a hard-fought semifinal to eventual champion Qian Jia Xing of China 21-16 21-17.
But finding a place on the podium in a tournament where he beat tough opponents from China and Indonesia is a remarkable achievement for a UAE player.
“I am thrilled because it’s the first time anyone from the UAE has won a medal at the Asian Junior Championships,” the rising star told the Khaleej Times over the phone from China.
“It was a very tough competition, with players from countries like China, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia participating. So, the competition was tough, but I was confident of reaching the final. I lost the semifinal, it was a match I could have won.”
While Riyan’s immediate aim is to win the gold at the next edition of the Asian Junior Championships, his big dreams remain the 2026 Youth Olympics and the 2028 Summer Olympics.
“I want to qualify for the Olympics and win a medal for the UAE. My parents are from India, but I was born in Dubai and I am very proud to represent the UAE in international events. So, playing the Olympics for the UAE is going to be an amazing feeling,” he said.
Vasudha Malhan, Riyan’s mother, says it would be a dream come true for the youngster to represent the UAE on the world’s biggest stage.
“Riyan was born here, so this is home for him. He has played in the Junior Indian Championships, but he always wanted to represent the UAE in international events,” Vasudha said.
“We are indeed grateful for everything Riyan has got in this country. The infrastructure here is amazing, we have a lot of support from the UAE Badminton Federation and the school.
“So, we feel really blessed. And it’s a testament to Dubai’s standing on the global stage that most of the top European and Indian players also come here regularly to practice. It’s amazing and every academy that Riyan has gone for training in Dubai, they have welcomed him with open arms, and everybody gives input that only makes him better. And the icing on the cake is that my husband also knows so much about the game.”
Vipul, Riyan’s father, was a former state-level shuttler in India before turning his focus completely to academics.
“Both of us — myself and my husband — come from families of academicians. I have been an educator in Dubai for more than 15 years now, my husband studied at St Stephen’s College (Delhi) where my father-in-law was the head of the economics department. And my father is from IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) Delhi. So we come from a totally academic background. But when Riyan showed an interest in badminton, my husband encouraged him and he started connecting with the shuttle at the age of four,” Vasudha recalled.
Now Riyan’s exploits, which include a gold medal-winning performance at an under-19 tournament in Bulgaria, have made his grandparents fall in love with badminton.
“Both sets of his grandparents are very proud of him. In fact, everybody in the family was surprised by how quickly he had progressed in the sport. Now they all follow his matches, my mother and my mother-in-law are hooked on the game,” Vasudha said.
“They are following the scores in every match because their grandson is playing. It’s amazing how his badminton has brought the whole family together in matches where everybody is cheering and rooting for him.”