India's Young Badminton Stars Set to Shine at BWF World Junior Championships 2026
India's Ambitious Squad for BWF World Junior Championships
New Delhi, September 21: India aims to enhance its previous achievements of a team bronze and individual silver at last year's event in Guwahati. A robust squad of 18 players, spearheaded by the newly crowned Asian U17 champion Tanvi Patri, silver medallist Shaina Manimuthu, and Grand Prix winner Dev Ruparelia, is gearing up for the BWF World Junior Championships 2026 in Cairo, Egypt.
The selection of the team followed trials conducted at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati from September 18 to 21, adhering to the guidelines set by the Badminton Association of India's Junior Selection Committee.
The team event, known as the Suhandinata Cup, is scheduled from October 5 to 10. India, seeded fifth and bronze medallists from the previous edition, will compete in Group D1 against Peru and Brazil. To advance to the quarterfinals, India needs to secure the top position in Group D1 and subsequently win a playoff against the winner of Group D2, which includes ninth seeds Indonesia, Macau China, and Senegal.
BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra expressed optimism about the squad's potential, stating, "India has a strong chance of delivering another impressive performance. Our junior players are carrying good momentum from the U17 Asian Championships, where the team reached the final. We waited for the medal-winning players to return before completing the selection trials to ensure everyone had a fair opportunity. Our boys and girls have worked extremely hard, and I am confident they can build on India’s podium finishes in Guwahati last year."
According to the BWF Council's decision for 2026, the Suhandinata Cup will utilize the new 3×55 relay scoring system, while the individual events for the Eye Level Cups, set for October 11 to 17, will follow the 3×15 scoring system.
To prepare for the championships, the team will participate in a dedicated World Junior Camp at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati from September 25 to October 2.
The girls' singles lineup will be led by Patri and Manimuthu, along with Parul Choudhary and Tanvi Reddy Andluri. In the boys' singles category, Ruparelia will be joined by Nishchal Chand, Jagsher Singh Khangurra, and Akhil Reddy Bobba.
In girls' doubles, Aanya Bisht and Angel Punera, who contributed to India's historic team medal last year, will compete alongside Diya Bheemaiah B. and Baruni Parshwal. The boys' doubles teams include Aathish Sreenivas P.V. with Yogansh Singh, and Pavan Suresh with Punith Suresh. The mixed doubles lineup features Divyansh Agrawal and Varna Prabhuanand, along with Yogansh Singh and Aanya Bisht.
The Indian Squad for BWF World Junior Championships 2026 includes: Boys' Singles: Nishchal Chand, Dev Ruparelia, Jagsher Singh Khangurra, Akhil Reddy Bobba; Girls' Singles: Parul Choudhary, Tanvi Reddy Andluri, Shaina Manimuthu, Tanvi Patri; Boys' Doubles: Aathish Sreenivas P.V. / Yogansh Singh, Pavan Suresh / Punith Suresh; Girls' Doubles: Aanya Bisht / Angel Punera, Diya Bheemaiah B. / Baruni Parshwal; Mixed Doubles: Divyansh Agrawal / Varna Prabhuanand, Yogansh Singh / Aanya Bisht.