India’s young shuttlers showcased their prowess at the Badminton Asia U-17 and U-15 Championships in Chengdu, China, on Friday, storming into the girls’ quarterfinals with commanding performances. Lakshya Rajesh, Diksha Sudhakar and Shaina Manimuthu highlighted India’s rising talent, asserting their place among the continent’s elite juniors.
Sixth-seeded Diksha Sudhakar exhibited remarkable composure, defeating Chinese Taipei’s Pin Hsuan Chiang 21-19, 21-15 in the U-17 category to secure a quarterfinal berth. Lakshya Rajesh followed suit, overpowering Korea’s Lee Yun Seo 21-16, 21-11 in the U-17 segment. In the U-15 pre-quarterfinals, top seed Shaina Manimuthu outclassed China’s Li Man Lin 21-17, 21-16, asserting total control from start to finish.
Indian shuttlers also triumphed in doubles competitions. Aditi Deepak Raj and BV Ponnamma Vriddhi held their nerve to edge past Korea’s Lee Yun Seo and Park Yoo Jeong 17-21, 21-15, 21-17 in a thrilling contest. In boys’ doubles, Charan Ram Thippana and Hari Krishna Veeramreddy delivered a clinical 21-14, 21-8 victory against Japan’s Kosuke Shinohara and Hiroto Nakatsuka.
Also read: India’s young shuttlers shine at Asia U-17, U-15 Championships
Jagsher Singh Khangurra progressed in singles with a 21-12, 21-17 win over Malaysia’s Winson Choh. However, Wazir Singh narrowly missed out on the U-15 boys’ singles quarterfinals after a heart-breaking 19-21, 22-20, 22-24 defeat to Indonesia’s seventh seed Revan Adrilleo Saputra.
The results underline India’s depth at the junior level, signalling a promising future for the nation’s badminton circuit as players aim for continental and global success.
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