BWF World Junior C'ship 2025: India crush Nepal while Sri Lanka fight back to beat UAE

Guwahati, Oct 7: Hosts India kicked-off their mixed team campaign for the Suhandinata Cup with a clinical victory over neighbours Nepal while Sri Lanka came from behind to beat UAE in a nerve-wracking Group H encounter on the opening day of the BWF World Junior Championships 2025 at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati on October 6.

India, seeded second, experimented with their line-up but till easily sailed through 45-18, 45-17 in their Group H opener while Sri Lanka took advantage of the changes made by UAE to win 30-45, 45-34, 45-44.

All other top countries including 14-time champions China, former champions Indonesia and South Korea had little problem beating their respective opponents in two straight sets to get their campaign rolling.

The mixed team championships is being played under a new best of three relay-scoring format where all the five matches are played with a race to 9 points with the team reaching 45 points first wins the set. Teams are also allowed to change their players for each set.

India took advantage of this substitution rules to give most of their players a chance to get some match experience as played a different combination in all three doubles and different players in singles in the two sets against Nepal.

The former world junior no. 1 boy’s doubles pair of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu set the ball rolling for India with a 9-3 win over Kabir KC and Suprim Panta and India never once looked in any kind of trouble.

In girls singles, Unnati Hooda and Asian u-19 championships bronze medallist Tanvi Sharma were clinical in their respective singles matches while Suryansh Rawat and Rounak Chouhan warmed up for bigger challenges without breaking any sweat.

Having lost the opening set rather easily, Sri Lanka benefitted from UAE’s decision to replace Bharath Latheesh with Riyan Malhan in boy’s singles. Keneth Aruggoda, who had lost 4-9 in the opening set, won his second match 9-6 and Sri Lanka rode on that momentum to force the decider.

Aruggoda gave the team another strong start in the deciding state with a 9-5 win over Latheesh and it looked like Sri Lanka would sail through easily when Ranthima Liyanage extended that lead to 18-8 against Prakriti Bharath.

But Malhan and Latheesh then pulled their team back in the contest with a 15-9 win over Sanuda Ariyasingha and Thisath Rupathunga to make it 23-27. But it was last girls doubles that made for an edge of the seat entertainment.

When the match started UAE were trailing 30-36 and Barath and Mysha Omar Khan needed to win 15 points against Sandathi Hewagallage and Pawani Illeperumaarachichi to clinch the tie for their team. 

Sports Reporter