Suhandinata Cup: India, SL start strong

Hosts India made a strong start to their mixed team campaign at the BWF World Junior Championships, comfortably defeating Nepal, while Sri Lanka edged past UAE in a nail-biting contest on the opening day of the Suhandinata Cup here on Monday.

Second-seeded India experimented with their lineup but still cruised to a 45-18, 45-17 victory in their Group H opener. Sri Lanka, meanwhile, overcame a set deficit to beat UAE 30-45, 45-34, 45-44 in a thrilling encounter that kept spectators on the edge of their seats.

Other top nations faced little trouble in their opening matches. Fourteen-time champions China beat Ghana 45-14, 45-10; South Korea defeated Hungary 45-22, 45-29; Chinese Taipei overcame Brazil 45-24, 45-19; and Indonesia triumphed over the Philippines 45-27, 45-40.

The mixed team event is being played under a new best-of-three relay-scoring format. Each tie consists of three sets of five matches, men's and women’s singles, men’s and women’s doubles, and mixed doubles with teams allowed to swap players between sets.

India made full use of this rule, giving most players a chance to gain match experience. Former world junior No. 1 boys’ doubles pair Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu set the tone with a 9-3 win over Nepal’s Kabir KC and Suprim Panta. Unnati Hooda and Asian U-19 bronze medallist Tanvi Sharma were clinical in their girls’ singles matches, while Suryansh Rawat and Rounak Chouhan comfortably handled their matches.

“This is my first time playing in this scoring format,” said Hooda, a China Open quarterfinalist. “I had to adjust my pre-match routine and warm-up because there’s no time to ease into the match. Once on court, it felt fine.”

The Sri Lanka-UAE clash provided high drama. After losing the first set, Sri Lanka bounced back, benefiting from UAE’s player changes. The decider came down to the girls’ doubles, where Sandathi Hewagallage and Pawani Illeperumaarachichi held their nerve to clinch a 46-44 win, securing the tie for Sri Lanka.

India will face Sri Lanka in their second group match on Tuesday, before taking on UAE on Wednesday.

India vs Nepal (India won 45-18, 45-17)

• Men’s singles: Suryansh Rawat defeated Kabir KC

• Women’s singles: Unnati Hooda defeated Suprim Panta

• Men’s doubles: Bhargav Ram Arigela & Viswa Tej Gobburu defeated Kabir KC & Suprim Panta

• Women’s doubles: Tanvi Sharma & Rakshitha Ramraj defeated Suprim Panta & partner

• Mixed doubles: Tanvi Sharma & Rounak Chouhan defeated Nepal pair