Did India Give Japan a Tough Challenge in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships Quarterfinals?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- India's junior team demonstrated remarkable tenacity.
- Strong performances in doubles contributed significantly to their success.
- Rounak Chouhan's upset victory against a top-ranked player showcased individual talent.
- The team's journey reflects potential for future achievements in badminton.
- India aims to build on this experience for upcoming championships.
Solo (Indonesia), July 21 (NationPress) – India’s junior badminton team showcased remarkable tenacity, narrowly succumbing to the former champions Japan with a score of 110-104 in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships.
In a fiercely contested match using the relay scoring format, India fought back after a close 11-9 defeat in the first match. The boys’ doubles team comprising Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu secured India’s first points, closely followed by a composed victory from the girls’ duo of Vennala Kalagotla and Reshika Uthayasooriyan, placing India in the lead at 33-26.
Reshika then teamed up with Bhavya Chhabra to sustain the advantage at 44-35, and Rounak Chouhan further extended the lead with an impressive performance.
Although India dominated for a significant portion of the contest, Japan, the reigning champions of 2023, surged ahead in the closing moments, winning the last five matches consecutively. Many of these games were hard-fought, demonstrating the resilience of the Indian team.
Despite their narrow exit, India had a commendable tournament, finishing atop Group D with victories against Hong Kong China, the United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka, indicating a robust balance in both singles and doubles.
The pairings of Bhargav-Viswa Tej and Reshika-Vennala were consistently strong, while C Lalramsanga also made a significant impact in his doubles matches, partnering with Bhavya for men’s doubles and Taarini Suri for mixed doubles.
In the singles events, Rounak managed to upset world junior No. 5 Lam Ka To, while Rujula Ramu secured wins over two players ranked in the top 20.
Organized by Badminton Asia, this mixed team junior championship is an annual continental event where competitors engage in boys’ and girls’ singles, doubles, and mixed doubles matches.
Attention now turns to the individual championships commencing on July 23.
The first edition of this mixed team badminton tournament took place in 2006. Notably, India has yet to clinch the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships.