India secures bronze in Yonex Sunrise BWF World Junior mixed team Championships

India’s campaign at the Yonex Sunrise BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships ended with a bronze medal after a semifinal loss to Indonesia. Despite a strong start, India couldn’t overcome the defending champions. The team now turns to the individual championships

Hyderabad: India’s spirited run in the Yonex Sunrise BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships came to an end with a bronze medal after a hard-fought semifinal loss to defending champions Indonesia at the Centre of Excellence Stadium in Guwahati on Friday.

Having already made history by securing India’s first-ever medal in the mixed-team competition with a victory over former champions Korea in the quarterfinals, the Indian team faced a daunting task against pre-tournament favorites Indonesia, losing 35-45, 21-45.

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Indonesia’s victory secured them a place in the final, where they will face the winner of the other semifinal between 14-time champions China and Japan.

Match Highlights:

India made one change to the squad that defeated Korea, bringing in Vishakha Toppo for Aanya Bisht in the mixed doubles category. The Indian team started strong, with top doubles combination of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu providing a perfect start by defeating Indonesia’s Muhammad Rizki Mubarrok and Raihan Daffa Pramono 9-5.

In the girls’ singles, Unnati Hooda was not at her best against Thalita Wiryawan, but managed to hold a slight lead at 18-16 after the first set. However, it was Indonesia’s World Junior No. 1, Mohd Ubaidillah, who turned the momentum around, defeating Rounak Chouhan 11-5 to give Indonesia a four-point advantage.

The mixed doubles pairing of Lalramsanga and Vishakha Toppo showed resilience, drawing level at 28-28 and even leading 9-3 at one point. But the Indonesian duo of Ikhsan Pramudya and Rinjani Nastine regained control, closing the match with 10-9, further strengthening Indonesia’s lead.

Nastine then teamed up with Riska Anggraini to beat Reshika U and Vennala K 9-2, closing out the set 45-35, sealing the fate of the match.

The Final Setback:

With Indonesia’s confidence soaring, they dominated the second set right from the start, with Mubarrok and Pramono defeating the Indian boys’ combination 9-2. Despite Unnati Hooda losing 7-9 to Wiryawan and Rounak Chouhan falling 7-9 to Ubaidillah, the gap was too wide for the Indian doubles to close.

The match marked the end of India’s campaign in the mixed-team event, but the players will now shift their focus to the individual championships, set to begin on Monday.