It was a golden day for India at the 2025 India Junior International Grand Prix in Pune as the young Indian shuttlers Vansh Dev-Shravani Walekar and Aanya Bisht-Angel Punera secured two titles in doubles events.
Kazuma Kawano of Japan claimed a memorable double crown winning the U-19 men’s singles and doubles.
In an all-Indian mixed doubles final, the unseeded duo Vansh Dev & Shravani Walekar produced a commanding display to defeat second seeds C Lalramsanga & Taarini Suri in straight games 21-12, 21-13. The pair sealed the gold in just 28 minutes, marking a memorable triumph.
In U-19 women’s doubles, another unseeded Indian pair, Aanya Bisht & Angel Punera fought back in style to overcome Japan’s fifth seeds Aoi Banno & Yuzu Ueno.
After conceding the opening game 21-23, the Indian duo bounced back with a dominant 21-12 win before holding their nerve in a tense decider to secure the gold 21-17 in a thrilling 70-minute battle.
A total prize money of $15000 was awarded at the event.
In the all-Japanese final, ninth-seeded Kazuma Kawano upset second-seeded Hyuga Takano 23-21, 18-21, 25-23 in a 1-hour, 9-minute match.
Meanwhile, Yuzuno Watanabe managed to edge out tenth-seeded Yurika Nagafuchi 16-21, 21-13, 21-17 to win the U-19 Women’s singles title.
In the U-19 Men’s Doubles, Kazuma Kawano teamed up with Shuji Sawada to get past another Japanese pair of Shunsei Nemoto and Nagi Yoshitsugu 21-15, 21-18.
With the two Indian victories, India shone brightest in the doubles category with its emerging teenage talents, concluding the tournament with two gold medals, one silver, and four bronze medals.
