Guwahati, India – Following their historic bronze medal win at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships 2025, Indian shuttlers are now setting their sights on individual glory. The team's performance in the Suhandinata Cup, the mixed team event, has fueled hopes for a strong showing in the Eye-Level Cup, the individual championships, which will run from October 13th to 19th.
India secured its first-ever medal in the mixed team competition by defeating former champions Korea in the quarterfinals. However, they fell short against pre-tournament favorites Indonesia in the semi-finals, with scores of 35-45, 21-45. Despite the loss, the bronze medal marks a significant milestone for Indian badminton on the world stage.
In the semi-final match against Indonesia, India made one change to their winning lineup from the Korea match, bringing in Vishakha Toppo for Aanya Bisht in mixed doubles. Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, India's top doubles pair, started strongly by defeating Indonesia's Muhmmad Rizki Mubarrok and Raihan Daffa Pramono 9-5. Unnati Hooda wasn't at her best in the girls' singles tie against Thalita Wiryawan in the first set but did enough to keep India ahead at 18-16. Mohd Ubaidillah, Indonesia's world junior No. 1 boys singles player, shifted the momentum by defeating Rounak Chouhan 11-5. Lalramsanga and Vishakha Toppo leveled the scores at 28-28 and later 9-3 in the mixed doubles match, but Indonesia ultimately proved too strong.
Looking ahead to the individual championships, India's medal hopes will primarily rest on the girls' singles players. The squad includes Asian U-19 championships bronze medalist Tanvi Sharma, who is also the junior world number one, Vennala K, China Open quarterfinalist Unnati Hooda, and Rakshitha Sree. Foreign singles coach Park Tae-Sang expressed confidence in the team, stating, "All our four girls singles players are medal contenders and can even win the gold medal".
In boys' singles, India's hopes will largely depend on junior world no. 14 Rounak Chohan and 17-year-old Gnana Dattu TT. The boys' doubles combination of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, who reached the world number one ranking earlier this year, will also be aiming for a strong performance.
The BWF World Junior Championships have returned to India after 17 years, adding extra significance to the event. The tournament is being held in Guwahati from October 6th to 19th. The mixed team event, the Suhandinata Cup, took place from October 6th to 11th, with 36 teams participating. The Eye-Level Cup, the individual championships, will follow from October 13th to 19th.
India had an unbeaten run into the quarter-finals, which included a confident 45-37, 45-34 victory against the UAE in their third and last Group H clash. Seeded second, the hosts had earlier defeated Nepal and Sri Lanka. In the match against UAE, Tanvi Sharma defeated Prakriti Bharath 9-5, and the mixed doubles combination of C Lalramsanga and Vishakha Toppo made it 18-10. Unnati Hooda replaced Tanvi in the second set and beat Prakriti 9-6.
The Indian team is well-prepared for the championships, with most of the team members having trained at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati for the past year. The players followed curfews and limited screen time to stay focused. With a blend of experienced campaigners and promising youngsters, India is aiming for a historic performance in the individual events.
