Guwahati (Assam) [India], October 5 (ANI): Bolstered by the presence of skilled campaigners like Unnati Hooda and Rakshitha Sree and a powerful line-up that features a present and former junior world #1, host India is gearing up for a historic efficiency within the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships that get underway on the National Centre of Excellence right here from Monday.
The BWF World Junior Championships have returned to India after a 17-year hiatus and will probably be held in two phases from October 6 to 19. The first part will see 36 groups vying for the coveted Suhandinata Cup within the combined group championships, adopted by the person championships for the Eye-Level Cup.
India has up to now gained a complete of 11 particular person medals within the historical past of the championships, with its best-ever efficiency coming in Pune 2008, when it bagged a gold and bronze medal.
The present Indian contingent has the potential to surpass that tally and likewise clinch a combined group medal, due to the depth of the squad that has helped the hosts safe second seeding within the championships.
Clubbed with the UAE, Sri Lanka and Nepal in Group H, India are favourites to prime the group and problem for a medal in a newly launched best-of-three set relay-scoring format during which every set will probably be a race to 45 factors.
‘We have been performing fairly nicely within the junior occasions over the previous few years, with BAI giving sufficient publicity to the gamers as a part of the preparation for the World Junior Championships in Guwahati. We are as soon as once more anticipating a number of medals this time round as a lot of the group members have been coaching at this very venue for the final 12 months or so,’ stated General Secretary, Sanjay Mishra, as quoted from a press launch by BAI.
India will open its marketing campaign towards Nepal on Monday, adopted by matches towards Sri Lanka on Tuesday and the UAE on Wednesday. India are the favourites to prime their group, and within the knock-out stage, India is more likely to face former champions South Korea, who’re anticipated to prime Group G, and a win towards them ought to assure the hosts a historic medal.
The different main medal contenders embrace 14-time champions China, badminton powerhouses Japan, South Korea, Thailand, and holders Indonesia, all vying for a historic medal.
Indonesia is the in-form group, as in addition they clinched the Asian Mixed Team title, beating China in February. Meanwhile, India got here inside hanging distance of beating Japan within the quarterfinals.
India’s medal hopes in particular person occasions will rely totally on the ladies’ singles, which includes Asian U-19 championships bronze medallist Tanvi Sharma, who can be the junior world primary, Vennala Ok, China Open quarterfinalist Unnati, and Rakshitha.
‘All 4 of our women’ singles gamers are medal contenders and may even win the gold medal. Even our boys can beat any opponent on their day, and I’m assured that they may excel in residence circumstances,’ stated the group’s overseas singles coach, Park Tae-Sang.
India’s hopes in boys’ singles will relaxation totally on junior world no 14 Rounak Chohan and 17-year-old Gnana Dattu TT. The hosts would even be hoping for a particular efficiency within the paired occasions, because the boys’ doubles mixture of Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu had scaled the world primary rating in January earlier this 12 months.
‘I’m conscious that India has by no means gained a medal within the paired occasions earlier than this, however this time we have now a formidable lineup. These gamers have been enjoying recurrently on the circuit, and that have of coaching at this venue ought to have helped them quite a bit,’ stated Russian doubles specialist coach Ivan Sozonov. (ANI)