Guwahati, Oct 9 (NationPress) India leveraged the enthusiasm of their passionate supporters and the familiarity of their home ground to triumph over Korea, securing a groundbreaking medal at the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships held at the National Centre of Excellence on Thursday.

The quarterfinal encounter was a tense battle stretching nearly three hours, pushing the team to recover from a disheartening defeat in the opening set. India emerged victorious with scores of 44-45, 45-30, 45-33, setting up a semi-final showdown against Indonesia, the Asian U-19 Mixed Team champions, who bested Chinese Taipei 45-35, 45-35.

This semi-final qualification guarantees India their first-ever mixed-team medal in the BWF World Junior Championships' history.

From the outset, India’s strategy for the quarterfinals indicated a heavy reliance on their singles competitors to counter the Koreans' strong doubles game.

The initial set unfolded as expected, with Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu falling 5-9 in the boys' doubles against Cho Hyeong Woo and Lee Hyeong Woo. The girls' doubles pair, Vennala K and Reshika U, managed to narrow the gap by defeating Cheon Hye In and Moon In Seo 10-9, while Rounak Chouhan brought India within one point by winning against Choi Ah Seung 11-9.

However, a loss of 4-9 occurred for C Lalramsanga and Aanya Bisht in the mixed doubles against Lee and Cheon, placing the pressure on Unnati Hooda, who needed to secure 15 points before her opponent Kim Han Bi reached nine. Unnati started strong, leading 3-0, but Kim leveled at 6-6, threatening to steal the set from India.

Nonetheless, Unnati displayed resilience, winning five consecutive points to level the score at 44-44. Unfortunately, her serve on set point went into the net, leaving her disheartened as she dropped her racquet.

In the second set, India made strategic substitutions, with Lalramsanga taking Gobburu’s place in boys' doubles and Vishakha Toppo stepping in for Bisht.

Lalramsanga and Bhargav kicked off strong, winning 9-7 against Cho and Lee, while Vennala and Reshika extended the lead by six points. India maintained their advantage, and by the time Unnati returned to the court for the second set, they were ahead by nine points, needing her to simply finish the set.

The third set mirrored the previous one, with Lalramsanga and Bhargav establishing a 9-4 lead; however, Vennala and Reshika struggled, allowing the Korean duo of Cheon and Moon to take a two-point lead.

Chouhan then decisively tilted the match in India's favor with an 11-4 victory over Choi, extending the lead to five points. Lalramsanga and Bisht increased it to seven, and Unnati capped off the victory with a 9-4 win over Kim, igniting celebrations.

Reflecting on the tactical adjustments made in the second set, India’s doubles coach Ivan Sozonov from Russia noted that changes were necessary due to Gobburu and Bisht feeling the match pressure, aiming to catch the Koreans off guard. He expressed satisfaction with Lalramsanga’s performance, as well as how Rounak and Unnati managed the pressure.

Badminton Association of India’s secretary general Sanjay Mishra expressed his delight, emphasizing that BAI and the management had aimed for a mixed-team medal. “The players had been training rigorously at this venue for months, and we believed in their potential to win a medal. I’m thrilled that everyone rose to the occasion and am confident they can overcome Indonesia to reach the finals,” he added.