Guwahati, Oct 3 (IANS) India’s top shuttlers, including former World Junior Championships medallists HS Prannoy and Lakshya Sen along with Olympian and women’s doubles star shuttler Ashwini Ponnappa recorded a special message for the Indian contingent for the upcoming World Junior Championships, urging them to enjoy themselves and trust their preparations.

The BWF World Junior Championships 2025 will be played in Guwahati, Assam from October 6 to 19. India is hosting this event 17 years after it first hosted in Pune in 2008.

“It’s probably a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent India at the World Juniors. It’s an opportunity for the juniors to play against the best in the world; this is the first stepping stone. From here you know what to expect in the next couple of years, because next you’re getting into the senior level,” said Prannoy, who won a BWF world junior bronze medal in 2010.

Pointing out that most of the Indian squad members were training at the state-of-art NCE, Prannoy said the Indian players will have the advantage of knowing the conditions well and need to make the most of it.

Sen, who like Prannoy, has bagged a bronze medal at the world junior and senior world championships, said it was important for the players to stay focused and not get distracted at this juncture. “It’s your home turf. It’s a great event to take advantage of the home support and conditions,” he said, adding there would be a lot of eyes on the players and they would have to focus on what is important.

The 2011 World Championships bronze medallist Ashwini urged the players to trust the training process they have followed in the run-up to the championships and asked them to give their best in order to win as many medals for the country.

India has so far won 11 medals, including a gold and four silver in the BWF World Junior Championships, with its best ever performance coming in the 2008 edition, where Saina Nehwal won the gold and RMV Gurusai Dutt the bronze medal.

India is hoping to find a podium place in the mixed team event for the first time, as they are seeded second and a strong showing in the paired events during the individual championships.

–IANS

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