Hosts India kicked off their combined workforce marketing campaign in the Suhandinata Cup with a commanding win over neighbours Nepal, whereas Sri Lanka shocked the UAE in a nail-biting end on the opening day of the BWF World Junior Championships right here on Monday (October 6, 2025).
India, seeded second, experimented with their line-up however nonetheless sailed by way of 45-18, 45-17 in their Group H opener, whereas Sri Lanka took benefit of the modifications made by UAE to win 30-45, 45-34, 45-44.
All different prime international locations, together with 14-time champions China, former champions Indonesia and South Korea had little downside beating their respective opponents in straight units to get their marketing campaign rolling.
The combined workforce championships is being performed below a brand new better of three relay-scoring format.
Each tie might be contested for the perfect of three units up to 45 factors, with every set comprising 5 matches – one every in males’s singles, ladies’s singles, males’s doubles, ladies’s doubles and combined doubles. Teams are additionally allowed to change their gamers for every set.
India took benefit of this substitution guidelines to give most of their gamers an opportunity to get some match expertise as they performed a distinct mixture in all three doubles and completely different gamers in singles in the 2 units towards Nepal.
The former world junior no. 1 boys doubles pair of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu set the ball rolling with a 9-3 win over Kabir KC and Suprim Panta and India by no means as soon as regarded in any sort of hassle.
Unnati Hooda and Asian U-19 championships bronze medallist Tanvi Sharma have been medical in their respective women singles matches, whereas Suryansh Rawat and Rounak Chouhan warmed up for greater challenges with out breaking any sweat.
While most Indian gamers had performed in a distinct model of the relay-scoring format in the Asian U-19 Mixed Team Championships, it was Unnati’s first outing in this scoring format and the China Open quarterfinalist stated that greater than her strategy to the sport, she had to change her pre-match routine extra.
“I tend to take my time with the warm up in the 21-point game. But here we have to be at our best from the first point and so my warm-up included a lot more court time as we don’t get any time to warm up between the match,” she stated.
“Otherwise, there was no problem as such in the match.” None of the other nations faced any challenge in their opening ties as China beat Ghana 45-14, 45-10, Korea beat Hungary 45-22, 45-29, Chinese Taipei defeated Brazil 45-24, 45-19 and Indonesia got the better of Philippines 45-27, 45-40.
But it was a tie between Sri Lanka and UAE that kept everyone in the stadium glued to their seats as the former came back from a set down to win.
Having lost the opening set rather easily, Sri Lanka benefitted from UAE’s decision to replace Bharath Latheesh with Riyan Malhan in boy’s singles.
Keneth Aruggoda, who had lost 4-9 in the opening set, won his second match 9-6 and Sri Lanka rode on that momentum to force the decider.
Aruggoda gave the team another strong start in the deciding state with a 9-5 win over Latheesh and it looked like Sri Lanka would sail through easily when Ranthima Liyanage extended that lead to 18-8 against Prakriti Bharath.
But Malhan and Latheesh then pulled their team back in the contest with a 15-9 win over Sanuda Ariyasingha and Thisath Rupathunga to make it 23-27.
But it was last girls doubles that made for an edge of the seat entertainment. When the match started UAE were trailing 30-36 and Barath and Mysha Omar Khan needed to win 15 points against Sandathi Hewagallage and Pawani Illeperumaarachichi to clinch the tie for their team.
The UAE girls managed to score 14 and were serving for the set and tie at 44-44 but could not wrap things up.
India will now take on Sri Lanka in their second group game on Tuesday and will play UAE on Wednesday (October 8, 2025).
