The BWF World Junior Championships 2023 is scheduled to be held from September 25 to October 8 in Spokane, the USA.
The Indian junior global badminton squad for 2023 will be led by 18-year-old Ayush Shetty and 15-year-old prodigy Unnati Hooda. The squad was chosen following rigorous tryouts held in New Delhi from July 26 to 29.
Unnati Hooda, who won the Odisha Open Super 100 title last year to become the youngest Indian badminton player to win a BWF World Tour championship, will lead the girls’ singles division with Tara Shah, the world No. 7 in junior singles badminton rankings, and India No. 7.
Ayush Shetty, India’s top junior shuttler in singles and a two-time U19 All India Junior Ranking winner, will head the boys’ squad after winning the top slot in selection trials. Tushar Suveer and Lokesh Reddy will accompany him.
In boys’ doubles, the junior India No. 1 combination of Nicholas Nathan Raj-Tushar Suveer, coupled with Divyam Arora-Mayank Rana, will lead the charge. Meanwhile, Radhika Sharma-Tanvi Sharma and Vennala K-Shriyanshi Valishetty will be hoping in the girls’ doubles category.
The Indian mixed doubles challenge will be represented by Samarveer-Radhika Sharma and Sathwik Reddy K-Vaishnavi Khadkekar. The 2023 BWF World Junior Championships begin on September 25 with the mixed team championships, followed by the individual competitions on October 2.
India has so far won 10 medals in the junior global badminton competition, including one gold, four silver, and five bronze. Saina Nehwal won the lone gold medal, becoming the girls’ singles winner in 2008 – four years before her Olympic victory in London 2012.
INDIAN TEAM
MIXED TEAM
Boys’ singles: Ayush Shetty, Tushar Suveer, Lokesh Reddy, Nicholas Nathan Raj
Girls’ singles: Unnati Hooda, Tara Shah, Devika Sihag, Shriyanshi Valishetty
Boys’ doubles: Nicholas Nathan Raj/Tushar Suveer, Divyam Arora/Mayank Arora
Girls’ doubles: Radhika Sharma/Tanvi Sharma, Vennala K/Shriyanshi Valishetty
Mixed doubles: Samarveer/Radhika Sharma, Sathwik Reddy K/Vaishnavi Khadkekar
SINGLES
Boys’ singles: Ayush Shetty, Tushar Suveer, Lokesh Reddy
Girls’ singles: Unnati Hooda, Tara Shah, Devika Sihag
Boys’ doubles: Nicholas Nathan Raj/Tushar Suveer, Divyam Arora/Mayank Arora
Girls’ doubles: Radhika Sharma/Tanvi Sharma, Vennala K/Shriyanshi Valishetty
Mixed doubles: Samarveer/Radhika Sharma, Sathwik Reddy K/Vaishnavi Khadkekar
Featured Image: BWF Corporate- BWF Fansite