India’s journey in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed team championships concluded at the quarterfinal stage with a 2-1 defeat against Hong Kong in Yatsushiro, Japan. The Indian team, led by Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri, started strongly, securing a 22-12 lead after two matches and winning the opening set 55-44 without any setbacks.
However, Hong Kong turned the tables in the second game as Can Yee Hei defeated Ruparelia 11-8, leading to a 22-16 advantage for Hong Kong. Despite Ruparelia’s efforts to regain the lead by defeating Chan 11-9, Hong Kong managed to narrow the gap to 22-21, forcing the match into a decider.
In the decisive match, the mixed doubles pair of Bjorn Jaison and Dianka Waldia maintained India’s lead with a 33-32 score, but India ultimately fell short as Tanvi Reddy Andluri and Baruni Parshwal lost to Chu and Yi Kiu Yu 5-11, resulting in a 55-43 set loss for India.
The 26th edition of the junior continental badminton championships is divided into two parts: the team event from June 26 to 30 and individual events from July 1 to 5. The team event, featuring a relay format where the first team to reach 110 points wins, will be followed by the individual competitions.
India’s representation at the 2026 Badminton Asia Junior Championships was led by Tanvi Patri and Abhinav Garg, who are part of the 19-member Indian squad competing in the championship.
