'How can Indian shuttlers maximize home support at BWF Jr. Worlds?': Prannoy, Lakshya's advice

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Embrace the home advantage during the championships.
- Trust in your training and preparation.
- Focus on the competition without distractions.
- Learn from the experience as a stepping stone to senior levels.
- Aim for collective success to elevate the nation's standing in badminton.
Guwahati, Oct 3 (NationPress) India’s elite badminton players, including former World Junior Championships medalists HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen, alongside Olympian and women’s doubles champion Ashwini Ponnappa, delivered an inspiring message to the Indian squad gearing up for the forthcoming World Junior Championships. They encouraged the athletes to relish the experience and have confidence in their preparation.
The BWF World Junior Championships 2025 is set to take place in Guwahati, Assam from October 6 to 19. This marks India hosting the event 17 years after its inception in Pune in 2008.
“This is likely a once-in-a-lifetime chance to represent India at the World Juniors. It’s a platform for the juniors to compete against the world’s elite; it serves as the first stepping stone. From this point, you learn what to expect as you transition to senior levels,” stated Prannoy, who earned a bronze medal at the BWF World Junior Championships in 2010.
Highlighting that most Indian squad members have trained at the cutting-edge NCE, Prannoy noted that the players will have the advantage of familiarity with the conditions, emphasizing the need to capitalize on this.
Sen, who also clinched bronze at both the world junior and senior championships, expressed the importance of maintaining focus and avoiding distractions at this critical time. “It’s your home ground. This is an extraordinary event to leverage home support and conditions,” he emphasized, adding that the athletes must stay concentrated amidst the attention they will receive.
The 2011 World Championships bronze medalist, Ashwini, encouraged the players to trust in their training regimen leading up to the championships and urged them to strive for excellence in order to secure as many medals for India as possible.
To date, India has accumulated 11 medals, including one gold and four silver in the BWF World Junior Championships, with its best performance recorded in 2008 when Saina Nehwal won gold and RMV Gurusai Dutt took home bronze.
India aspires to achieve a podium finish in the mixed team event for the first time, as they are seeded second, and aims for strong results in paired events during the individual championships.