Guwahati, Oct 7 (NationPress) The home team, India, continued their impressive journey toward the knockout rounds of the mixed team championships, showcasing another dominant performance in their Group H encounter against Sri Lanka. Meanwhile, the Philippines pulled off an unexpected victory over Hong Kong in an exhilarating Group F match on the second day of the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships for the Suhandinata Cup at the National Centre of Excellence here on Tuesday.

India is poised to secure a spot in the knockout stage as group leaders. The second-seeded team met those expectations, achieving a remarkable 45-27, 45-21 victory over Sri Lanka, who had triumphed over the United Arab Emirates in a nail-biter the day before.

Among other leading nations, 14-time champions China and former champions South Korea also notched their second wins in their respective groups, while Philippines caused an upset against Hong Kong with scores of 42-45, 45-28, 45-43.

China, competing in Group D, defeated England 45-22, 45-19, while South Korea crushed debutant Bhutan 45-5, 45-17 in Group G.

On the adjacent court to the Koreans, the Indian squad faced little resistance, even with the team management fielding a fresh set of players who had not participated in the match against Nepal on Monday during their opening round.

Lalthazuala Hmar set the tone for the team, defeating Keneth Aruggoda 9-2 in the boys' singles match, while Bhavya Chhabra and Mithileish P Krishnan increased the lead to 18-6 against Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga.

Only Rakshitha Sree, participating in the team relay-scoring format for the first time, faced difficulties against Ranithma Liyanage, initially trailing 3-8 before rallying to win six of the next seven points, culminating in a score of 36-21.

C Lalramsanga, a Junior Grand Prix finalist in Pune, and Taarini Suri then concluded the set with a 45-27 victory over Aruggoda and Liyanage, winning 9-6.

Rounak Chouhan commenced the second set for India, and despite the hosts fielding a completely fresh line-up, they mirrored the first set's outcome, securing a 45-21 victory.

The Philippines captivated fans as Jamal Pandi took center stage in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles, leading the team to its most significant win in the history of the competition.

Pandi not only excelled in all his boys' singles matches but also partnered with Ralph Nino Dalojo in the men’s doubles final set for a stunning win.

Trailing 27-36 at the match's outset, the Philippines knew they needed to secure 18 points before Hong Kong's Cheng Ying Kit and Deng Chi Fai could add nine points.

Pandi and Dalojo kept their composure under pressure, triggering celebrations that lasted until the team exited the arena.

“This is a monumental achievement for Philippines badminton, and we are extremely thankful for the opportunity to train and compete here,” said Philippines coach Escoses Lloyd.

“We participated in a three-day preparatory camp (arranged by BWF) here prior to the tournament, which significantly benefited us,” he added.

Reflecting on the pivotal moments of victory, Pandi mentioned that they entered the final doubles match without expectations, simply focusing on playing each point effectively.