In a commanding display, India continued their winning streak against Sri Lanka in their Group H clash at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships for the Suhandinata Cup, moving closer to the knockout stages of the mixed team event. The match took place on Tuesday in Guwahati, where India, the second seeds and leading contenders to top Group H, convincingly secured a 45-27, 45-21 victory over Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka had previously narrowly defeated the United Arab Emirates in a thrilling encounter.
Alongside India's impressive performance, other major badminton teams showcased their prowess. Fourteen-time champions China, competing in Group D, displayed their dominance with a 45-22, 45-19 victory over England. Similarly, former champions South Korea trounced debutant Bhutan 45-5, 45-17 in Group G. Meanwhile, the Philippines managed to surprise Hong Kong with a 42-45, 45-28, 45-43 win, upsetting the form books.
Despite India fielding a fresh roster, the team faced little resistance from the Sri Lankans. India started strong with Lalthazuala Hmar defeating Keneth Aruggoda 9-2 in the boy’s singles. The pair of Bhavya Chhabra and Mithileish P Krishnan further extended India’s lead to 18-6 against Sanuda Ariyasinghe and Thisath Rupathunga. Although Rakshitha Sree initially struggled against Ranithma Liyanage, trailing 3-8, she made a remarkable comeback to elevate the score to 36-21. The match was eventually sealed by C Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri, who triumphed over Aruggoda and Liyanage 9-6, concluding with a 45-27 finish.
In the second set, even with a completely fresh lineup, India maintained their form. Rounak Chouhan led the charge, helping India to a 45-21 victory and securing their win in the tie.
Other notable results from the sessions included Japan's triumph over Ireland (45-22, 45-16) and Thailand’s victory against Portugal (45-16, 45-23) in Group A. Group B saw France overpower Egypt (45-25, 45-34), while the USA defeated Norway (45-18, 45-21). Turkey claimed a win over Ghana in Group D (45-11, 45-27), and Denmark overcame Brazil in Group E (45-43, 45-35). Additionally, Romania edged past Poland (42-45, 45-39, 45-41) in Group G. To round off Group H, the UAE achieved a 45-29, 45-18 victory over Nepal.
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