Synopsis
India's badminton challenge at the Dutch and German Junior Internationals features top talents including national U-17 champion Gnana Dattu T, junior world number six Rounak Chouhan, and Adarshini Shri. The competitions are set to take place from February to March 2025, with hopes for medal success.Key Takeaways
- India fields a strong 17-member squad.
- Top players include Rounak Chouhan and Adarshini Shri.
- Events held in Haarlem and Mulheim an der Ruhr.
- BAI emphasizes junior player development.
- Past successes provide motivation for the team.
New Delhi, Feb 5 (NationPress) Gnana Dattu T, the national U-17 champion, along with junior world number six Rounak Chouhan, Adarshini Shri, and doubles experts Bhavya Chhabra and Param Chaudhary, will be at the forefront of India's challenge at the Dutch Junior International 2025 and the German Junior 2025 badminton events.
The Dutch Junior International is scheduled to take place in Haarlem from February 26 to March 2, while the German Junior will occur in Mulheim an der Ruhr from March 5-9.
India is optimistic about securing several medals in both tournaments this year, as many participants have been actively competing on the international stage, with the Badminton Association of India (BAI) already facilitating exposure tours for various age groups.
The Indian team comprises 17 members, including four boys and girls singles players each, two boys doubles and two girls doubles combinations, as well as two mixed doubles pairs.
The BAI indicated that the squad was formed following their selection committee's guidelines, which allowed direct entry to the winners of the All India Junior Ranking Tournament (U-19) held in Hyderabad. Remaining positions were filled through selection trials in New Delhi, featuring top-ranked players and semifinalists from the Hyderabad event.
“The Yonex Dutch Junior International and YONEX German Junior competitions are vital tournaments for the progression of young athletes. Indian players have excelled in these events over recent years before advancing to the senior circuit.
“This bodes well for the junior development strategy that BAI has been emphasizing, particularly with 10 players currently ranked in the top ten of the BWF World Junior Rankings. I am confident that this team will perform admirably in both competitions and bring us pride,” stated BAI General Secretary Sanjay Mishra.
RMV Gurusai Dutt remains the only Indian boy's singles player to have won the Dutch Junior International gold medal, achieving this in 2008, the same year he secured gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games and a bronze medal at the world junior championships.
Surya Charisma Tamiri previously earned a girls' singles bronze at the 2024 German Junior, while Ayush Shetty won boys' singles bronze a year earlier before going on to claim the 2023 world junior bronze.
India squad:
Boys Singles: Rounak Chouhan, Gnana Dattu TT, Suryaksh Rawat, Pranauv Ram N
Girls Singles: Adarshini Shri, Tanoo Chandra, Rujula Ramu, Tanvi Reddy Andluri
Boys Doubles: Bhavya Chhabra/Param Chaudhary, Mithilesh PK/Vishnu Kedar Kode
Girls Doubles: Pragati Parida/Vishakha Toppo, Anaya Bisht/Angel Punera
Mixed Doubles: Bhavya Chhabra/Angel Punera, Lairamsanga C/Vishakha Toppo
