The stage is set at the Solo Indoor Manahan Stadium in Indonesia as the Wondr Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 get underway from July 23 to 27.
Featuring both the mixed team relay event and individual championships, this year’s edition brings together the next generation of Asian badminton talent from 17 countries, all hungry to make their mark.
India has fielded a strong 19-member squad for this prestigious event, carrying hope, ambition, and a determination to step onto the podium. The competition structure and new formats promise high-paced, tactical battles and give young shuttlers a fresh platform to prove their mettle.
Indian Squad at a Glance
Men’s Singles: Pranauv Ramnagalingam, Rounak Chouhan, Ansh Negi, Hmar Lalthazuala
Women’s Singles: Tanvi Sharma, Rujula Ramu, Vennala Kalagotia, Tanvi Reddy Andluri
Men’s Doubles: Bhavya Chhabra / Param Choudhry, Bhargav Arigela / Viswa Tej Gobburu
Women’s Doubles: Vennala Kalagotia / Reshika Uthayasooriyan, Gayatri Rawat / Mansa Rawat
Mixed Doubles: Vishnu Koda / Keerthy Manchala, C. Lalramsanga / Taarini Suri
What’s New This Year?
The championships feature two exciting formats:
Individual Championships (July 23–27):
- Traditional knock-out draw but with a new scoring system: Best of three games to 15 points each.
- The 21st point in any game becomes sudden death, adding tactical drama and pressure to every match.
India’s Medal Prospects and Draw Preview
Men’s Singles:
All four Indians got byes in the opening round of 128.
- 10th seed Rounak Chouhan is on course to meet #8 Liu Ming Yu (China) in the Round of 16.
- 13th seed Pranauv Ramnagalingam could face Malaysia’s Lal Zuidika in R64 and, if he progresses, Japan’s 7th seed Kazuma in R16 for a likely quarterfinal against world junior no.1 Ubaidillah of Indonesia.
- Ansh Negi starts against 16th seed Ding Han Jin, while Hmar Lalthazuala could meet Singapore’s Tay Juntin in R16 and #2 seed Richardo from Indonesia in the quarters.
India isn’t among the favorites here, but fans have their hopes pinned on Ramnagalingam to produce a deep run.
Women’s Singles:
India’s brightest hope lies with 2nd seed Tanvi Sharma, currently world junior no.1. At just 16, Tanvi recently broke into the senior top 50 and was runner-up at the US Open Super 300. Her big test is likely against Indonesia’s 5th seed Wirawan in the quarters.
Other Indian players:
- #15 seed Rujula Ramu could face China’s Liu Si Ya early, with a possible R16 against 7th seed Ranithma Liyanage.
- Vennala Kalagotia shares a quarter with 10th seed Eng Ler Qi, starting her run against Kazakhstan’s Allisa Kuleshova.
- Tanvi Reddy has a tough draw, meeting Ung Cheok early and potentially 3rd seed Ketklieng in the last 32.
Men’s Doubles:
India is a strong contender for medals here:
- Top seeds Bhargav / Viswa Tej, who got byes, could meet Indonesia’s 5th seeds Annafsa / Lumintang in the quarters.
- 6th seeds Bhavya / Lalramsanga are drawn in the same quarter as Malaysia’s 4th seeds Lon / Tan.
Women’s Doubles:
- Gayatri Rawat / Mansa Rawat start against the Philippine pair Hernandez / Mary.
- Vennala / Reshika meet Vietnam’s Tran/An in their opener.
Mixed Doubles:
- 11th seeds Lalramsanga / Taarini face Huang/Chen from Chinese Taipei and could run into Malaysia’s 2nd seeds Asrah/Sofia in the same quarter.
- Vishnu/Keerthy, after a bye, are set to meet Hong Kong’s Cheng/Hung.
This edition is more than medals: it’s about discovering future stars. Players like Tanvi Sharma already hint at world-class potential, while new names like Bhargav, Viswa Tej, and Ramnagalingam may emerge as the next big stories.
With a fresh format, rising confidence, and history to inspire them, India’s juniors are ready to script new chapters at the 2025 Badminton Asia Junior Championships. And perhaps, unearth the next Sindhu or Sen for the world stage.
