India Shines at Junior Badminton Grand Prix with Doubles Victories

The Late Sushant Chipalkatti Yonex Sunrise India Junior International Grand Prix, held in Pune, India, saw a successful day for the host nation. Young Indian shuttlers Vansh Dev and Shravani Walekar, along with Aanya Bisht and Angel Punera, secured two titles in the doubles events. The tournament was organized by the Poona District Metropolitan Badminton Association (PDMBA).

In the mixed doubles final, the unseeded Indian pair of Vansh Dev and Shravani Walekar dominated, defeating the second-seeded duo of C Lalramsanga and Taarini Suri in straight games. The Indian pair secured the gold medal in just 28 minutes.

The U-19 women's doubles final saw another unseeded Indian pair, Aanya Bisht and Angel Punera, triumph over Japan's fifth seeds Aoi Banno and Yuzu Ueno. After losing the first game, the Indian duo fought back to win the second game and then secured the gold in a closely contested third game.

The tournament awarded a total prize money of $15,000. Prizes were presented by various dignitaries, including Sonali Deshpande, Omar Rashid, Manoj Patil, and Meena Chipalkatti.

In the singles events, Kazuma Kawano of Japan claimed a double crown, winning both the U-19 men's singles and doubles titles. Yuzuno Watanabe won the U-19 Women's singles title.

In the U-19 Men's Doubles, Kazuma Kawano and Shuji Sawada defeated another Japanese pair.

India's performance in the doubles category highlighted the emerging talent of its young players, concluding the tournament with two gold medals, one silver, and four bronze medals.