Tanvi Sharma, Bhargava-Viswa Tej to Lead India’s Squad for Asian Junior Badminton Championships; National Camp Begins July 4 in Guwahati

Guwahati — Badminton Asia Women’s Team gold medallist Tanvi Sharma and the Junior World No. 1 men’s doubles pair Bhargava Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu will headline a strong 19-member Indian squad for the 2025 Badminton Asian Junior Championships, scheduled to be held in Solo, Indonesia, from July 18 to 27.

The prestigious continental tournament will feature both team and individual competitions, with the team event set for July 18 to 22, followed by the individual events from July 23 to 27.

Tanvi Sharma, currently ranked World No. 2 in the BWF Junior Women’s Singles rankings, will lead India’s women’s singles campaign. On the men’s side, Rounak Chouhan, ranked World No. 12 in boys’ singles, will bolster the squad's strength.

Versatile shuttler Vennala Kalagotla will compete in both singles and doubles events, while the top-ranked men's doubles duo, Bhargava Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, will look to continue their dominance on the global junior circuit.

India has a proud history at the U-19 Asian Junior Championships, having secured nine medals so far. The likes of PV Sindhu and Lakshya Sen have clinched gold in previous editions, setting a high benchmark for this new generation of players.

The team event will follow a relay scoring format, where the first side to reach 110 points will be declared the winner. The competition begins with group stages, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout rounds.

This championship also serves as a vital preparatory platform for the BWF Junior World Championships, which will be hosted later this year at the National Centre of Excellence (NCE) in Guwahati.

To gear up for the Asian Juniors, the full Indian squad will assemble for a national training camp at NCE Guwahati from July 4 to 15. The camp will focus on enhancing match fitness, refining tactics, and building team cohesion across all categories.

Speaking about the preparations, Badminton Association of India (BAI) General Secretary Sanjay Mishra said, “India’s junior circuit is brimming with world-class potential. This camp is where raw talent will be honed into medal-winning performances. With top shuttlers like Tanvi Sharma, Rounak Chouhan, Bhargava Ram, Viswa Tej, Vennala Kalagotla, Rujula Ramu, and others, our goal extends beyond medals at the Asian Juniors—we are building readiness for the Junior World Championships and future international success.”

India’s 19-Member Squad:

Men’s Singles: Ansh Negi, Hmar Lalthazuala, Rounak Chouhan, Pranauv Ram Nagalingam
Women’s Singles: Rujula Ramu, Tanvi Sharma, Tanvi Reddy Andluri, Vennala Kalagotla
Men’s Doubles: Bhavya Chhabra/Param Choudhary, Bhargava Ram Arigela/Viswa Tej Gobburu
Women’s Doubles: Vennala Kalagotla/Reshika Uthayasooriyan, Gayatri Rawat/Mansa Rawat
Mixed Doubles: Vishnu Kedhar Kode/Keerthy Manchala, C. Lalramsanga/Taarini Suri

With inputs from IANS