India Advances in Badminton Asia Junior Championships and US Open

Team India has made a strong impression in the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships, securing a quarterfinal spot with a decisive win over Kazakhstan. Meanwhile, at the US Open, Devika Sihag upset the third seed, and Rounak Chouhan advanced to the semifinals. With promising matchups ahead, including potential all-Indian finals, badminton fans are in for an exciting weekend. Read on for detailed highlights and match outcomes.

By Narendra Chaudhary Jun 27, 2026, 13:23 IST

India's Success at Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships

In a strong performance, Team India secured a place in the quarterfinals of the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships by defeating Kazakhstan with a score of 2-0 (55-31, 55-21) during their Group C opener on Saturday.

As they prepare for a crucial match against Chinese Taipei to determine the group champion, India made strategic changes in their doubles lineup. The girls' doubles team of Durga Esha Kandrapu and Keerthy Manchala set the tone with an 11-5 victory over Alissa Kuleshova and Diana Namenova. Meanwhile, Puneeth Suresh and Deepti Raj Aditi faced a tough challenge from Mustafa Malikzhan and Kuleshova but managed to secure an 11-10 win, bringing the score to 22-15. The Indian team then dominated the remaining three categories to clinch the first set. The second set was even more decisive, with no player conceding more than six points in any match.

Highlights from the US Open Badminton Tournament

In other badminton news, Thailand Masters champion Devika Sihag achieved a significant upset by defeating third seed Riko Gunji from Japan in the women's singles quarterfinals of the US Open, winning 22-20, 21-19. Rounak Chouhan also continued his impressive performance, reaching the semifinals after defeating Israel's Misha Zilberman with a score of 23-21, 21-11 in just 38 minutes.

Later, former world number one Kidambi Srikanth triumphed over Liao Jhuo-Fu from Chinese Taipei, winning 21-9, 12-21, 21-8 in another quarterfinal match, raising hopes for an all-Indian final on Sunday.

In the semifinals, Chouhan will compete against eighth seed Su Li Yang from Chinese Taipei, while Srikanth will face fourth seed Yudai Okimoto from Japan. Devika will take on second seed Line Christophersen, who previously defeated India's Tanvi Sharma 21-16, 11-21, 21-11 in the quarterfinals. Additionally, Rakshitha Sree lost to Canada's Rachel Chan with scores of 15-21, 21-16, 21-12.