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Journalism of Courage
Riyan Malhan caused a stir at the Badminton World Junior Championships in Guwahati, when he defeated Indian Hmar Lalthazuala 15-12, 15-6 in Round of 32. The 15-year-old represents UAE and is one of several indian-origin shuttlers representing other countries.
His father, a St Stephen’s Delhi alumnus, is a senior VP with Mashreq Bank in Dubai. Riyan was a student of Dubai Gem Private School, and even played junior circuit in India, but opted to play for his country of birth.
After success last year at the Asian level where he landed U15 bronze, Riyan had told Khaleej Times: “I am thrilled because it’s the first time anyone from the UAE has won a medal at the Asian Junior Championships.”
Beating Lalthazuala however is a significant achievement for someone aiming to go to 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 told Khaleej Times.
Vasudha Malhan, Riyan’s mother, had told the newspaper, “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. 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,” Khaleej quoted her as saying.
Vipul, Riyan’s father, was a former state-level shuttler in India before finance tech got to him.
“Both of us – myself and my husband – come from families of academicians. I have been an educator in Dubai for 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,” she told Khaleej. “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.
Riyan’s career has ensured the grandparents bond over his exploits. “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 told Khaleej.
“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.”
He shifted to Gulf last year and trained at Prime Star Academy.
