Indian shuttlers begin World Junior Championships campaign with all-win record

Indian shuttlers had a perfect start at the BWF World Junior Championships in Guwahati, winning all their opening matches. Lalthazuala Hmar, Gnana Dattu, and Vennala K advanced to the next round, while Indian doubles teams also made strong performances

Hyderabad: Indian shuttlers had a successful start to their individual campaigns at the BWF World Junior Championships at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati on Monday, with all players securing wins in their opening matches.

Lalthazuala Hmar of Mizoram was the first Indian in action, needing just 14 minutes to breeze past Uganda’s Denis Mukasa, winning 15-4, 15-4. In the boys’ singles, Gnana Dattu TT faced some initial nerves before overcoming Milan Mesterhazy of Hungary 5-15, 15-7, 15-7. Later, Asian Junior Championships bronze medalist Vennala K dominated Siofra Flynn of Ireland, winning 15-1, 15-6 in the girls’ singles opening round.

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While Gnana Dattu was the only Indian player to face some difficulty, the 17-year-old Hyderabad-born shuttler admitted to feeling nervous in his first World Juniors event. “I made too many errors in the first game and was completely out of sorts,” said Dattu. However, he regained control in the second game, eventually dominating the match. “This is my first World Juniors and I was clearly nervous. Additionally, facing a European player for the second time, it took me time to adjust to their style of play,” he added.

In the mixed doubles category, three of India’s four pairs advanced smoothly to the next round. Vansh Dev and Dianka Waldia defeated Anish Nair and Mia Fox of England 15-6, 15-11. Vishnu Kedhar Kode and Keerthy Manchala beat Obapomba Adu-Mintah and Moslena Ama Korama from Ghana 15-7, 15-8. C Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri overcame a shaky start to defeat Senan O’Rourke and Michelle Shochan of Ireland 15-13, 15-9.

On the opening day, other top players also showcased their skills. Liu Si Ya, the Asian Junior Championships silver medallist from China, was made to work hard in her 15-10, 15-13 win over Yurika Nagafuchi from Japan. Meanwhile, Bruno Alonso of Brazil put up a spirited fight against China’s Xiao Gao Bo, eventually losing 15-9, 15-7.