NEW DELHI, Aug 8: India have got a relatively easy draw in the upcoming World Junior Championships as the second-seeded hosts nation will compete in Group H alongside Hong Kong, Nepal, and Ghana, the Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on Friday.
The BWF has released the draw for the Suhandinata Cup (mixed team event) tournament, to be held at the National Centre of Excellence, Amingaon, Guwahati, from October 6 to 11.
The prestigious global junior team event returns to India for the first time since 2008 and will feature 37 teams from across the world. The tournament format will see the winner from each group advance to the quarter-finals.
Top seeds Thailand are drawn in Group A with Denmark, Slovenia, and Cook Islands. Defending champions Indonesia are placed in Group C with Türkiye, Romania, and the Netherlands, while 14-time champions China will face Japan, Singapore, Brazil, and Bhutan in Group E.
This year a new relay format will be tested in the competition. In the new format there will be best of three sets, where a team reaching 45 points in a relay format wins a set.
A set will have each of men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles matches with the first match ending after one team reaching nine points and the next match will start.
Earlier, the relay format consisted of a single set with a race to 110-points in 10 matches.
For the Indian team, medal winners from the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 will gain direct entry, while the remaining spots will be decided through a selection trial from August 9-13 at the same venue.
Players eligible for the trials include those meeting the BAI ranking cut-offs, Indian shuttlers ranked in the BWF World Junior Top 20, and juniors ranked in the Senior Top 50 as of 29 July 2025.
All players selected in the Indian team for the WONDR Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2025 are also invited for the trials, except the medallists who already have direct entry.
Following the Suhandinata Cup, the individual events will also be staged in Guwahati from October 13-19 at the National Centre of Excellence.(PTI)
GROUPS
Group A: Thailand, Denmark, Slovenia, Cook Island.
Group B: Chinese Taipei, UAE, Canada, England, Norwa.
Group C: Indonesia, Türkiye, Romania, Netherland.
Group D: Poland, USA, Hungary, Ireland, Philippine.
Group E: China, Japan, Singapore, Brazil, Bhuta.
Group F: Malaysia, Australia, Sri Lanka, Slovakia, Vietna.
Group G: France, Korea, Portugal, Egypt, Ugand.
Group H: India, Hong Kong China, Nepal, Ghana.