Indian shuttlers began their individual events at the YONEX SUNRISE BWF World Junior Championships 2025 with a flawless performance. Competing at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati, they faced
no significant challenges in their matches on Monday. The Indian team had previously secured a bronze medal in the team championships, and seeded players received byes for the initial round.
Lalthazuala Hmar from Mizoram was the first to compete, swiftly defeating Uganda's Denis Mukasa 15-4, 15-4 in just 14 minutes. Later, Gnana Dattu TT overcame his initial nerves to beat Hungary's Milan Mesterhazy 5-15, 15-7, 15-7 in boys' singles. Vennala K, an Asian junior championships bronze medallist, dominated Ireland's Siofra Flynn 15-1, 15-6 in girls' singles.
In mixed doubles, three out of four Indian pairs advanced without much effort. Vansh Dev and Dianka Waldia defeated England's Anish Nair and Mia Fox 15-6, 15-11. Vishnu Kedhar Kode and Keerthy Manchala easily won against Ghana's Obapomba Adu-Mintah and Moslena Ama Korama 15-7, 15-8. C Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri overcame a slow start to beat Ireland's Senan O'Rourke and Michelle Shochan 15-13, 15-9.
Gnana Dattu was the only Indian player who struggled initially due to nerves. He admitted making many errors in the opening game but regained control in the second game. "This is my first World Juniors and I was clearly nervous in the first game. Additionally, this is the second time that I was facing a European player and it took me time to understand their style of play. But once I went to the better side in the second game, I was confident that I can win this match," said Gnana Dattu.
Among other notable performances on day one, China's Liu Si Ya had to work hard for her victory against Japan's Yurika Nagafuchi with scores of 15-10, 15-13. Brazil's Bruno Alonso put up a strong fight against China's Xiao Gao Bo but lost 15-9, 15-7. Sri Lanka's Thidasa Weragoda made a comeback after losing the first game to defeat Malaysia's Boon Le Lim with scores of 4-15, 15-8, 17-15.
The seeded players are set to begin their campaigns on Tuesday. All eyes will be on India's top girls' singles players: top seed Tanvi Sharma, eighth seed Unnati Hooda, and experienced Rakshitha Sree.
| Event | Result |
|---|---|
| Boys Singles | Lalthazuala Hmar bt Denis Mukasa (Uganda) 15-4, 15-4 |
| Gnana Dattu TT bt Milan Mesterhazy (Hungary) 5-15, 15-7, 15-7 | |
| Girls Singles | Vennala K bt Siofra Flynn (Ireland) 15-1, 15-6 |
| Mixed Doubles | Vishnu Kedhar Kode / Keerthy Manchala bt Obapomba Adu-Mintah / Moslena Ama Korama (Ghana) 15-7, 15-8 |
| C Lalramsanga / Taarini Suri bt Senan O'Rourke / Michelle Shochan (Ireland) 15-13, 15-9 | |
| Vansh Dev / Dianka Waldia bt Anish Nair / Mia Fox (England) 15-6, 15-11 |
The Indian contingent has shown promising performance as they advance further into the competition. With strong starts from both singles and doubles players, expectations remain high for continued success throughout the tournament.
/images/ppid_a911dc6a-image-176029362554440166.webp)
