India’s Junior Badminton Run Ends in Quarterfinal Thriller Against Hong Kong

India’s campaign in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championship came to a close after a hard fought 1-2 defeat against Hong Kong in the quarterfinals in Yatsushiro, Japan on Monday.

India began the tie on a strong note, with Dev Ruparelia and Tanvi Patri setting the tone early and helping the team build a solid lead at 22-12 after the opening exchanges . The doubles pairs continued the momentum, ensuring control of the contest as India wrapped up the first set 55-44 , appearing firmly in command.

However, the match swung in Hong Kong’s favour in the second game. Can Yee Hei struck first against Ruparelia with an 11-8 win , before IP Sum Yau extended Hong Kong’s advantage to 22-16 , shifting pressure onto the Indian side.

India’s doubles combinations tried to close the gap but could not fully recover the deficit as the contest moved into a decider. Ruparelia once again responded with a crucial 11-9 win over Chan , briefly restoring hope, but Yau kept Hong Kong ahead at 22-21 in a closely fought phase.

The mixed doubles pair of Bjorn Jaison and Dianka Waldia kept India in contention, holding a narrow 33-32 lead after their segment against Cheung Sai Shing and Wing Chi Chu , which ended level at 11-11 .

But the final stretch proved decisive. Tanvi Reddy Andluri and Baruni Parshwal went down 5-11 to Chu and Yi Kiu Yu , allowing Hong Kong to complete their comeback and seal the set 55-43 , knocking India out of the tournament.

Despite a strong start and moments of control, India could not sustain the momentum in the closing stages and exited after a closely contested quarterfinal battle.