India’s next generation of badminton talent continued to impress at the Badminton Asia U-17 & U-15 Championships 2025, with several standout performances across both age categories in Chengdu.
Top-seeded Shaina Manimuthu and sixth seed Diksha Sudhakar spearheaded India’s charge into the quarterfinals, while a string of other young shuttlers produced confident displays to keep the tricolour flying high in China. In the U-15 girls’ singles, top seed Shaina Manimuthu once again showcased her composure and consistency, overcoming China’s Li Man Lin 21-17, 21-16. Shaina, who had earlier begun her campaign with a commanding 21-6, 21-10 victory over Malaysia’s Jing Er Tan, demonstrated her growing maturity, maintaining control throughout and keeping her unforced errors to a minimum.
The Chennai-based prodigy, who has been in tremendous domestic form this season, dictated the pace with crisp shot-making and sharp movement, living up to her billing as one of the tournament favourites. In the U-17 girls’ singles, Diksha Sudhakar continued to underline her potential with another confident display. The sixth seed defeated Chinese Taipei’s Pin Hsuan Chiang 21-19, 21-15, showing poise under pressure and intelligent tactical awareness. This follows her spirited comeback in the Round of 16, where she recovered from a set down to beat China’s Luo Ya Ru 17-21, 21-16, 21-11.
Both Shaina and Diksha now advance to the quarterfinals, ensuring India’s continued presence in the business end of the girls’ singles draws.
Lakshya Rajesh and Jagsher Singh Extend Strong Run
Among the other standout performers, Lakshya Rajesh produced back-to-back impressive wins to secure her spot in the U-17 girls’ singles last eight. After a solid 21-17, 21-11 win against Chinese Taipei’s Kuan Yi Lin in the Round of 16, she carried her form forward with a commanding 21-16, 21-11 victory over Korea’s Lee Yun Seo. Lakshya’s ability to maintain intensity across rounds has been one of the highlights of India’s campaign so far.
In the boys’ section, Jagsher Singh Khangurra showcased control and confidence in the U-17 boys’ singles, notching a 21-12, 21-17 victory over Malaysia’s Winson Choh. The result built on his earlier straight-game win over China’s Zhang Yu Feng (21-14, 21-17), reaffirming his growing stature among Asia’s best in this age category.
India’s doubles combinations, often an area of steady progress in age-group events, were equally impressive on Day 2 and 3 in Chengdu. In the U-17 girls’ doubles, the pairing of Aditi Deepak Raj and Ponnamma BV Vriddhi displayed grit and resilience to rally from a set down and edge Korea’s Lee Yun Seo/Park Yoo Jeong 17-21, 21-15, 21-17. Earlier, they had registered a straight-game victory over Malaysia’s Sue Mei Teoh/Zi Qing Wan 22-20, 21-12 to move into the Round of 16.
In the U-17 boys’ doubles, Charan Ram Thippana and Hari Krishna Veeramreddy were clinical in their approach, registering a convincing 21-14, 21-8 win against Japan’s Kosuke Shinohara/Hiroto Nakatsuka. Their aggressive net play and effective communication throughout the contest stood out in what was one of the most one-sided matches of the day.
The U-15 mixed doubles pair of Hemanth Sri Sammetla and Sharayu Ranjane also caught attention with their assured play, ousting the fifth-seeded Singapore duo Ng Yu Ze/Loo Kit Rei Chara 21-9, 21-11 to move comfortably into the Round of 16.
In a heart-breaking result for India, Wazir Singh narrowly missed out on a place in the quarterfinals of the U-15 boys’ singles after a marathon encounter against Indonesia’s Revan Adrilleo Saputra, the seventh seed. Wazir fought bravely before going down 19-21, 22-20, 22-24 in a match that lasted nearly an hour. His fighting spirit and ability to stretch a seeded opponent to three tight games reflect India’s growing depth in the younger age groups. India’s steady progression at the Badminton Asia age-group championships over the past two years has built optimism for another successful campaign in Chengdu.
The 2024 edition saw India return with one gold and one bronze, while in 2023, the contingent won one gold, one silver, and one bronze both events held in the same Chinese city.
This year, India has fielded a 36-member squad, competing across singles and doubles events in both the U-15 and U-17 categories. The consistency shown by the young players particularly in how they have handled pressure against higher-ranked Asian opponents signals continued promise for India’s grassroots badminton pipeline.
With multiple players entering the quarterfinal stage, including Shaina Manimuthu, Diksha Sudhakar, Lakshya Rajesh, and Jagsher Singh, India remains firmly in contention across several draws. The coming rounds will test the endurance and adaptability of these emerging talents as they face opponents from powerhouse nations like China, Korea, Japan, and Indonesia.
The performances so far have reflected not only technical maturity but also mental fortitude qualities that the Indian junior circuit has increasingly emphasized in recent years. As the quarterfinals approach, attention will be on whether Shaina and Diksha can convert their form into podium finishes and potentially match or surpass India’s medal tally from the previous editions.
Summary of Key Indian Results:
•🏸 U-15 Girls’ Singles: Shaina Manimuthu def. Li Man Lin (CHN) 21-17, 21-16
•🏸 U-17 Girls’ Singles: Diksha Sudhakar def. Pin Hsuan Chiang (TPE) 21-19, 21-15
•🏸 U-17 Girls’ Singles: Lakshya Rajesh def. Lee Yun Seo (KOR) 21-16, 21-11
•🏸 U-17 Boys’ Singles: Jagsher Singh Khangurra def. Winson Choh (MAS) 21-12, 21-17
•🏸 U-17 Girls’ Doubles: Aditi Deepak Raj / Ponnamma BV Vriddhi def. Lee Yun Seo / Park Yoo Jeong (KOR) 17-21, 21-15, 21-17
•🏸 U-17 Boys’ Doubles: Charan Ram Thippana / Hari Krishna Veeramreddy def. Kosuke Shinohara / Hiroto Nakatsuka (JPN) 21-14, 21-8
•🏸 U-15 Mixed Doubles: Hemanth Sri Sammetla / Sharayu Ranjane def. Ng Yu Ze / Loo Kit Rei Chara (SGP) 21-9, 21-11
