Top Indian players Tanvi Sharma, Unnati Hooda, and Rakshitha Sree Ramraj advanced to the pre-quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Championships 2025. They overcame initial challenges to secure their spots
at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati.
Tanvi defeated Indonesia's Oei Winarto 15-12, 15-7, while Unnati triumphed over Alice Wang from the USA with scores of 15-8, 15-5. Rakshitha staged a comeback to beat Singapore's Aaliyah Zakaria 11-15, 15-5, 15-8.
Meanwhile, in the boys' singles category, Gnana Dattu TT emerged as India's sole hope after defeating fellow Indian Suryaksh Rawat. Despite losing the first game 11-15, he bounced back to win the next two games 15-6 and 15-11. This victory secured his place in the next round of the tournament.
The girls' singles draw saw a significant upset when defending champion Xu Wen Jing from China was eliminated by Japan's Yuzuno Watanabe. Watanabe won a thrilling match against the third seed with scores of 15-12, 11-15, 15-10. This result opened up opportunities for other competitors in the lower half of the draw.
In girls' doubles action, Aanya Bisht and Angel Punera advanced by defeating Hui Hsin Huang and Pei Chun Tsai from Chinese Taipei. The match ended with scores of 16-14, 12-15, and a decisive 15-5 in favour of the Indian pair. Vennala K and Reshika U also moved forward after beating Japan's Sayaka Enomoto and Miku Yashima with scores of 15-8, 15-10.
The mixed doubles team of Bhavya Chhabra and Vishakha Toppo secured their advancement by overcoming Denmark's Aske Romer and Jasmin Willis. The Indian duo won with scores of 15-13 and 15-11 after fending off a late challenge from their opponents.
Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu made progress in men's doubles by defeating Japan's Shunki Hagiwara and Mahiro Matsumoto. After dropping the first game 11-15, they rallied to win the next two games with identical scores of 15-10.
Challenges Faced by Players
Tanvi Sharma started strong against Oei Winarto but faced difficulties due to unforced errors. She managed to regain control with strategic play advised by her coach. "In the starting of first game I was playing well. 9-4, 9-5, I was winning easily. Suddenly, I started doing unforced errors," said Tanvi about her performance.
Rakshitha Sree also encountered challenges against an unfamiliar opponent but turned things around after initially trailing significantly. "At the start I took time to understand the court and also how my opponent was playing," she explained about her approach during the match.
Indian Contingent Performance
The Indian contingent comprises a strong team of 25 members participating in this championship on home soil. The girls' singles players are particularly expected to add more medals to India's tally of eleven individual medals historically achieved in this competition.
Despite some setbacks like Rounak Chouhan's loss against China's Li Zhi Hang (11-15, 12-15), India remains optimistic about its chances in various categories as it continues its journey through this prestigious event.
