Solo (Indonesia), July 18 (IANS) India kicked off their Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team championships campaign in style as they thrashed Sri Lanka 110-69 in their Group D clash in Indonesia on Friday.

The mixed doubles combination of Vishnu Kode and Reshika U began India’s march with a 11-5 win over Keneth Aruggoda and Isuri Attanayake in the relay point system where a team had to bag 110 points to win the match.

Sisters Gayatri and Mansa Rawat then extended India’s lead to 22-14 against Attanayake and Sithumi De Silva before junior world no. 1 Tanvi Sharma stamped her class against Sithuli Ranasinghe to make it 33-21 for India.

Not one India singles player or pair lost any 11-point relay and by the time the match reached the half way mark the winners had taken a 55-31 lead.

India will now face United Arab Emirates in their second group game on Saturday before taking on Hong Kong China on Sunday which could decide who tops the group standings.

The team event is scheduled from July 18 to 22 and individual events from July 23 to 27.

India has so far secured nine medals at the U‑19 Asian Junior Championships, with stars like PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen clinching gold in past editions. The current batch will look to carry that legacy forward and mount a serious title challenge in Solo.

The team event will adopt a relay format, with the first side to reach 110 points declared the winner. It will begin with a group stage, followed by knockout rounds, with the top two teams from each group advancing.

The championships are also viewed as a key stepping stone toward the BWF Junior World Championships, which will be held at the state-of-the-art National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati later this year.

India’s 19-Member Squad:

Men’s Singles: Ansh Negi, Hmar Lalthazuala, Rounak Chouhan, Pranauv Ram Nagalingam

Women’s Singles: Rujula Ramu, Tanvi Sharma, Tanvi Reddy Andluri, Vennala Kalagotla

Men’s Doubles: Bhavya Chhabra/Param Choudhary, Bhargav Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu

Women’s Doubles: Vennala Kalagotla/Reshika Uthayasooriyan, Gayatri Rawat/Mansa Rawat

Mixed Doubles: Vishnu Kedhar Kode/Keerthy Manchala, C Lalramsanga/Taarini Suri

–IANS

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