New Delhi, Aug 19 (IANS) Junior World No. 1 girls’ singles player Tanvi Sharma, boys’ doubles combination of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, along with Asian Junior Championships bronze medallist Vennala Kalagotla and Unnati Hooda, will lead a 25-member strong Indian team at the BWF World Junior Championships, to be held at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati from October 6–19.

The mixed team championships for the Suhandinata Cup will be played from October 6–11, while the individual events will take place from October 13–19.

The final team for the championships was selected after a thorough trial, which included all members of the Asian Junior Championships team, players ranked in the world junior top 20, BAI singles top 8, BAI doubles top 4 pairs, and juniors ranked inside the BWF senior top 50.

The two-stage round-robin format ensured the most competitive line-up was chosen. Asian Junior Championships girls’ singles bronze medallists Tanvi and Vennala were directly selected in the team.

“We are very excited that India will be fielding one of its strongest contingents for the World Junior Championships on home turf. Our squad boasts two World Junior No. 1s and a few players who have already made their mark on the senior circuit, and I am confident that we will see Indian players on the podium this time,” said Badminton Association of India secretary Sanjay Mishra.

According to the rules of the competition, 10 boys and 10 girls from the squad will be selected to play in the mixed team championships.

Among the 25 members, Vennala will also be pairing with Reshika U in girls’ doubles, while Bhavya Chhabra and Vishnu Kedar Kode will be featuring in boys’ doubles and mixed doubles.

The last time India hosted the BWF World Junior Championships was in 2008, when Saina Nehwal became the first Indian shuttler to win gold, while RMV Guru Sai Dutt secured bronze in the boys’ singles.

India has so far won 11 medals in the competition, including four silver and six bronze, and the squad selected for the 2025 edition has enough depth to add to that tally.

With Guwahati hosting the championship, the Indian players will also have the advantage of a passionate home crowd cheering them on. The support from local fans is expected to lift the energy inside the National Centre of Excellence and provide the young shuttlers an extra boost as they chase historic results for the country.

Indian team:

Boys’ Singles (U19): Rounak Chouhan, Gnana Dattu T.T., Lalthazuala H., Suryaksh Rawat

Girls’ Singles (U19): Tanvi Sharma, Vennala Kalagotla, Unnati Hooda, Rakshitha Sree S.

Boys’ Doubles (U19): Sumith A.R. / Bhavya Chhabra, Bhargav Ram Arigela / Viswa Tej Gobburu, Vishnu Kedhar Kode / Mithileish P. Krishnan

Girls’ Doubles (U19): Vennala Kalagotla / Reshika U, Gayatri Rawat / Mansa Rawat, Aanya Bisht / Angel Punera

Mixed Doubles (U19): Bhavya Chhabra / Vishakha Toppo, Lalramsanga C / Taarini Suri, Vishnu Kedhar Kode / Keerthy Manchala, Vansh Dev / Dianka Waldia

–IANS

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