India's Junior Badminton Team Battles Hard But Falls Short Against Japan

India's junior badminton team put up a spirited fight but narrowly missed out in the quarterfinals against the seasoned Japanese team at the Badminton Asia Junior Mixed Team Championships in Solo, Indonesia. Japan, the reigning champions, edged out India with a 110-104 victory on Monday. The match, played under the intense relay scoring system, saw India bounce back swiftly after a tight 11-9 defeat in the first encounter. Displaying commendable performances, the boys' doubles pair, Bhargav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, clinched India's first win, with Vennala Kalagotla and Reshika Uthayasooriyan continuing the momentum in the girls' doubles. This surge put India in a promising lead at 33-26. Further maintaining the advantage, Reshika joined forces with Bhavya Chhabra to extend the lead to 44-35. Rounak Chouhan's composed performance further strengthened India's position. However, the final stretch saw Japan making a resilient comeback, securing a sequence of five consecutive wins. While several of these matches were fiercely contested, showcasing the Indian team's tenacity, Japan managed to inch ahead and seal the victory. India had demonstrated exceptional form earlier, leading Group D after triumphs over Hong Kong China, the United Arab Emirates, and Sri Lanka. As the team reflects on this close contest, the focus will now transition to the upcoming individual championships, set to commence on July 23.