Karnataka boys, Tamil Nadu girls win 49th Junior National Badminton Championships
Synopsis
With both defending champions absent from the Inter-Zonal stage, the 49th Junior National Badminton Championships in Gangtok delivered fresh faces at the top. Karnataka boys powered past Assam while Tamil Nadu girls, led by 2025 Asian U-17 champion Diksha SR, edged out Delhi — signalling a potential shift in India's junior badminton power map.
Key Takeaways
Karnataka boys defeated Assam 2-0 to win the Boys U-19 title at the 49th Junior National Badminton Championships in Gangtok .
Tamil Nadu girls beat Delhi 2-0 to claim the Girls U-19 crown, with Diksha SR winning her singles match.
Defending champions Mizoram (boys) and Telangana (girls) failed to qualify for the Inter-Zonal stage.
Hardik Divyansh defeated 2023 Asian U-15 champion Bornil Changmai in the boys singles final, 18-16, 15-6 .
A historic 17 umpires from across the country were selected to officiate, chosen based on performances at the Jaipur ranking tournament.
Karnataka boys and Tamil Nadu girls were crowned champions at the 49th Inter-State Inter-Zonal Junior National Badminton Championships in Gangtok on 15 November 2026, both securing comfortable 2-0 victories in their respective finals. With defending champions Mizoram (boys) and Telangana (girls) failing to qualify for the Inter-Zonal stage, the titles were wide open — and Karnataka and Tamil Nadu seized the moment decisively.
Girls Final: Diksha SR Leads Tamil Nadu Past Delhi
In the Girls U-19 final, Tamil Nadu defeated last edition's silver medallist Delhi 2-0. The opening singles match set the tone as 2025 Asian U-17 girls singles champion Diksha SR defeated Rishika Nandi 15-12, 15-12, giving Tamil Nadu an early stranglehold on proceedings. The women's doubles pair of Ananya Arun and Anjana Manikandan then sealed the title, edging out Nandi and Ishita Negi in a hard-fought 16-14, 12-15, 15-10 contest.
Boys Final: Karnataka Outclass Assam
The Boys U-19 final saw Karnataka dispatch Assam 2-0 with authority. Hardik Divyansh opened the account by defeating 2023 Asian U-15 champion Bornil Changmai 18-16, 15-6 in the singles. The doubles pairing of Pavan Suresh and Punith Suresh then closed out the championship, overcoming Changmai and Aanayan Borah 15-9, 10-15, 15-7.
Key Results From Earlier Rounds
On Saturday, in the girls' semifinal stage, Maharashtra beat Assam 2-0, while Haryana boys defeated Maharashtra boys by the same margin. Uttarakhand boys and girls both defeated hosts Sikkim to advance to the last-four stage of their respective events.
Historic Umpiring Initiative
This edition also marked a notable administrative milestone: 17 umpires from across India were selected to officiate at the championship — a development described as historic by organisers. The umpires were shortlisted based on their performances at the All India Ranking Tournament (U-15/U-17) held in Jaipur earlier this year, reflecting a renewed focus on raising officiating standards at the junior level.
With a new generation of champions crowned in Gangtok, attention now turns to how these young shuttlers fare on the senior circuit and in future Asian and world junior competitions.
Point of View
Where a single graduating class can hollow out a title-winning squad. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu stepping into that vacuum is expected; what is more telling is the emergence of Diksha SR, a reigning Asian U-17 champion, as a consistent match-winner at the national level. The umpiring initiative is quietly significant too: India has long invested in player development while neglecting officiating pipelines, and selecting 17 umpires through a performance-based process is a structural step that rarely makes headlines but matters for the sport's credibility.
NationPress
15 Nov 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Who won the 49th Junior National Badminton Championships?
Karnataka boys and Tamil Nadu girls won the 49th Inter-State Inter-Zonal Junior National Badminton Championships held in Gangtok on 15 November 2026, both claiming their titles with 2-0 wins in the finals.
Who were the runners-up in the boys and girls finals?
Assam were the runners-up in the Boys U-19 final, while Delhi — last edition's silver medallist — finished runners-up in the Girls U-19 final.
Who is Diksha SR and why is she significant?
Diksha SR is the 2025 Asian U-17 girls singles champion who represented Tamil Nadu in the Girls U-19 final, winning her singles match against Rishika Nandi 15-12, 15-12 to give Tamil Nadu the winning start. She is regarded as one of India's most promising junior shuttlers.
Why were both defending champions absent from the final?
Defending champions Mizoram (boys) and Telangana (girls) failed to qualify for the Inter-Zonal stage of the championship, leaving the titles open for other states to contest.
What was the historic umpiring initiative at this championship?
For the first time, 17 umpires from across India were selected to officiate at the Junior National Championships based on their assessed performances at the All India Ranking Tournament (U-15/U-17) held in Jaipur earlier in 2026, marking a step toward structured officiating development.
