India Tops Group D with Undefeated Streak at Badminton Asia Junior Championships

India maintained its unblemished record in the group stage of the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships held in Indonesia. The team secured a narrow 110-100 victory against Hong Kong China during the last Group D match on Sunday, as reported by the Badminton Association of India (BAI). This win ensured India topped the group standings.

Even before this faceoff, both India and Hong Kong China had already qualified for the knockout stage, yet maintaining the winning momentum was crucial. To secure their position, India fielded a strong team. Rujula Ramu set the pace by defeating IP Sum Yau 11-8, followed by the junior boys doubles pair Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu extending the tally to 22-13 against their opponents Cheung Sai Shing and Deng Chi Fai.

With the competition heated, Hong Kong's Lam Ka To attempted to reduce the deficit by scoring 13 points. However, India's Rounak Chouhan later widened the margin to 33 points. Just six points differentiated the teams after five matches, standing at 55-49. India's lead was further strengthened by junior world no. 1 Tanvi Sharma, who defeated Liu Hoi Kiu Anna in the second girls' singles, pushing the score to 66-54.

The following matches remained competitive, but the Indian team maintained its lead to secure the top spot in the group, setting the stage for a quarterfinal clash against Japan on Monday. In Group A, Japan finished second behind Thailand. India's qualification for the quarterfinals was earlier assured with a decisive 110-83 win over the United Arab Emirates on Saturday, following their opening-day victory against Sri Lanka.

(With inputs from agencies.)