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Jerlin Anika Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 29, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth18 October 2004

Age18 Years (as of 2022)

BirthplaceMadurai, Tamil Nadu

ProfessionBadminton Player

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather: J. Jeya Ratchagen; Mother: Leema; has a brother

Jerlin Anika Biography

Jerlin Anika Jayaratchagan is an Indian deaf badminton player from Madurai, Tamil Nadu, who rose through junior and youth competitions to become a multi-g旧

Early life and background

Jerlin Anika Jayaratchagan was born on 18 October 2004 in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. Diagnosed with a hearing disability at two years old, she grew up in a family where her father, J. Jeya Ratchagen, ran a small business and her mother, Leema, was a homemaker. She also has a brother. Jerlin attended local schools including Avvai Corporation GHSS and St. Joseph's Girls Higher Secondary School in Tamil Nadu.

Her interest in badminton began at age eight. Early on, competing at national events required substantial travel costs; her father recalled relying on help from family and friends to cover expenses until state and private support became available from 2019 onward.

Career

Jerlin progressed quickly through age-group competition. In 2016 she won a silver medal in the U-13 category at the Federation of India School Games. The following year she won a championship match in Hyderabad, a result that helped pave the way for her selection to represent India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics in Turkey. At 13 she was the youngest Indian participant at those Games and finished fifth in the women’s events.

Internationally, she continued to build her record. In 2018 she contested the East Asia Pacific Deaf Badminton Championships in Malaysia and earned two silver medals and a bronze. At the 5th Asia Pacific Deaf Badminton Championships she claimed a bronze in the senior women’s doubles and silver medals in the U-21 singles and doubles categories. In 2019, competing at the World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships in Taipei, Jerlin won the girls’ singles title and took silver medals in girls’ doubles and mixed doubles.

Her most notable breakthrough came at the 24th Summer Deaflympics, held in Caxias do Sul, Brazil in 2021 and completed in May 2022. There she captured three gold medals across the team event, mixed doubles and women’s singles, delivering a standout performance on the international stage.

Training and playing style

Jerlin trains intensively; her coach T. Saravanan has described her as a focused, hardworking player with strong hand-eye coordination. He has noted that they communicate through lip reading and gestures. Early in her career she experienced anxiety in crowded open-category matches, but sustained practice—reportedly eight to ten hours a day—helped her overcome those challenges. Her hearing impairment affects auditory cues such as the sound of the shuttle on the racket, a factor her coach believes she has converted into an advantage by remaining less distracted by surrounding noise.

Public profile

Jerlin stands about 165 cm (5 ft 5 in) tall and is known professionally as a badminton player. She has been publicly recognized for her achievements: in 2021 the HCL Foundation announced a scholarship of Rs. 3.25 lakh to support her training and travel to the Deaflympics and provided travel support for her coach and father.

Latest updates

As of May 2022 Jerlin had secured three Deaflympics gold medals and continued to be an active competitor in international deaf badminton events. Her trajectory from national junior competitions to world and Deaflympic success marks her as one of India’s prominent young deaf athletes.
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Recent Work

24th Summer Deaflympics

Won gold medals in the team event, mixed doubles and women’s singles in Caxias do Sul, Brazil (held in 2021, completed in May 2022).

2021/2022
World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships

Won girls' singles gold and silver medals in girls' doubles and mixed doubles in Taipei.

2019
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Career Highlights

  1. Three gold medals at the 24th Summer Deaflympics (team, mixed doubles, women’s singles)
  2. World Deaf Youth Badminton Championships girls' singles champion (2019)
  3. Medals at East Asia Pacific and Asia Pacific Deaf Badminton Championships (2018 and subsequent editions)
  4. Represented India at the 2017 Summer Deaflympics at age 13
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Jerlin Anika born?

18 October 2004

What is Jerlin Anika known for?

Badminton Player

What is Jerlin Anika’s marital status?

Unmarried