India advanced to the quarterfinals of the BWF World Junior Mixed Team Championships 2025 for the Suhandinata Cup with a straight-set win over the UAE at the National Centre of Excellence in Guwahati on Wednesday.
India clinched its third consecutive straight-game victory in the preliminary stage to top Group H and booked their spot in the last eight of the competition.
India, seeded second, had beaten Nepal and Sri Lanka in their earlier Group H clashes and went into the final round as the only unbeaten team in the group.
That confidence showed in the way they approached the match against the UAE, who boast of having a few players who have played in the Indian domestic circuit in the past.
USA Open finalist Tanvi Sharma gave the team a rousing start as she defeated reigning Indian junior national champion Prakriti Bharath 9-5. The mixed doubles combination of C Lalramsanga and Vishakha Toppo then made it 18-10 against Adithya Kiran and Sakshi Kurbkhelgi.
UAE did put up a fight in the boys’ singles and boys’ doubles with Bharath Lateesh scoring 9 points against Hmar Lalthazuala and then teaming up with Riyan Malhan to score 10 points against Bhagav Ram Arigela and Viswa Tej Gobburu, but their efforts were not enough to close the gap.
In the second set, Unnati Hooda replaced Tanvi, and Suryansh Rawat took the place of Hmar in the lineup. Unnati beat Prakriti 9-6 to start the proceedings, and there was no looking back for the Indian team from there on.
The top teams in all eight groups will now compete in the quarterfinals for the coveted trophy, while the others will fight in the classification rounds.
India will now take on the winner of Group G, South Korea, who also booked their spot in the quarterfinals after registering three straight-game victories.
