Yatsushiro (Japan): Team India sealed their quarterfinals spot in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships with a dominant 2-0 (55-31, 55-21) win over Kazakhstan in their Group C opener here on Saturday.
With the all important clash against Chinese Taipei to decide the group winner looming, India mixed things up in doubles.
Girls’ doubles pairing of Durga Esha Kandrapu and Keerthy Manchala gave India a strong start with a 11-5 win over Alissa Kuleshova and Diana Namenova.
Puneeth Suresh and Deepti Raj Aditi were then taken the distance by Mustafa Malikzhan and Kuleshova but they managed to eke out a 11-10 win to take the score to 22-15. The Indians then dominated the next three categories to win the first set.
The second set then turned out to be a cakewalk as none of the players conceded more than six points in any of the matches.
India have been drawn in Group C for the mixed team event along with Chinese Taipei, Kazakhstan and the Philippines. India have a shot to challenge for the mixed team gold medal, to be played in a relay format, where the team first reaching 110 points will win the tie. India, the last bronze medalists, startef their campaign in the group stages before moving onto the quarter-final and then playing knockout matches all the way to the finals.
India’s challenge at the 2026 Badminton Asia Junior Championships was spear headed by the duo of Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg who will feature in the 19-member Indian squad for the championship in Yatsushiro, Japan, scheduled to be held from June 26 to July 5.
(IANS)
