Junior shuttlers shine at Asia C’ships

Indian shuttlers made an impressive start at the 2025 Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships, defeating several strong Chinese opponents on the opening day in Chengdu. The 36-member Indian squad showed confidence and resilience across both age categories, setting the tone for a promising campaign.

In the U-15 boys’ singles, SL Dhakshan Sugumaran staged a remarkable comeback to overcome China’s Lyu Ke Ting 18-21, 21-14, 21-13. Wazir Singh also prevailed in a tight three-game clash against Xia Jun Long, 21-18, 18-21, 21-17. Pushkar Sai and Prabhu Dhyani advanced comfortably from the round of 64 with straight-game victories over their Thai rivals.

On the girls’ side, Anvi Rathore dominated UAE’s Anishka Anu 21-4, 21-9, showcasing India’s growing strength in the younger categories.

The U-17 contingent also delivered solid performances. In mixed doubles, Punith Suresh/Aditi Deepak Raj and Jangjeet Singh Kajla/Jananika Ramesh progressed to the round of 16, defeating Chinese and Japanese pairs respectively. Boys’ singles stars Nischal Chand and Hardik Divyansh impressed with straight-game wins against Laos’ Souphaxay Simmanong (21-8, 21-7) and Japan’s Issei Matsuhita (21-14, 21-14).

India has a strong record in Chengdu, winning one gold and a bronze in 2024, and one gold, one silver, and a bronze in 2023. The current 36-member squad will look to build on this legacy and chase more medals across both U-17 and U-15 events.