Karnataka boys and Tamil Nadu girls crowned champions at 49th Junior National Badminton Championships

Karnataka's boys and Tamil Nadu's girls emerged as champions in the Under-19 team events at the 49th Yonex-Sunrise Inter-State Inter-Zonal Junior National Badminton Championships, registering convincing 2-0 victories in their respective finals in Gangtok on Sunday.

Karnataka defeated Assam in the boys' final, while Tamil Nadu overcame Delhi to claim the girls' title. Both teams made the most of an opportunity created by the absence of the defending champions from the Inter-Zonal stage. Mizoram's boys and Telangana's girls, who had won the previous edition's titles, failed to qualify for the Inter-Zonals, leaving both championships open for new winners.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu handled the pressure of the final with authority, winning their opening singles matches before sealing the team titles through doubles victories. While both finals ended 2-0, the contests featured closely fought games and determined performances from the runners-up.

Tamil Nadu began the girls' Under-19 final with a strong singles performance from Diksha SR, the 2025 Asian U-17 girls' singles champion. Facing Rishika Nandi, Diksha produced a composed display to secure a straight-games victory, winning 15-12, 15-12.

The result gave Tamil Nadu an early advantage and placed the responsibility on Delhi's doubles pairing to keep the contest alive. However, Ananya Arun and Anjana Manikandan delivered the decisive second point in a three-game encounter against Nandi and Ishita Negi.

The Tamil Nadu combination had to work through a competitive opening game, eventually taking it 16-14. Delhi responded in the second game, winning 15-12 to force a decider and keep its hopes of taking the final into a third match alive.

Ananya and Anjana, however, regained control in the deciding game. They secured a 15-10 win to complete the 2-0 team victory and confirm Tamil Nadu as the girls' champions.

Diksha's singles win provided the platform, but the doubles pair's ability to recover after losing the second game proved equally important. Their victory ensured Tamil Nadu did not need a third match to settle the championship.

Delhi, last edition's silver medallists, finished runners-up after pushing the doubles contest to three games but were unable to prevent Tamil Nadu from completing a clean sweep.

Karnataka dominate boys' final against Assam

In the boys' Under-19 final, Karnataka defeated Assam 2-0, with Hardik Divyansh and the doubles pairing of Pavan Suresh and Punith Suresh delivering the championship-winning points.

Hardik faced Bornil Changmai, the 2023 Asian U-15 champion, in the opening singles match. The first game was closely contested, with Hardik eventually edging it 18-16 after a tight battle. Having gained the advantage, he carried that momentum into the second game and secured a more comfortable 15-6 victory.

The win gave Karnataka the opening point and put Assam under pressure to respond in the doubles match.

Pavan Suresh and Punith Suresh then took on Aanayan Borah and Changmai in a three-game encounter. Karnataka started strongly, winning the first game 15-9, but Assam fought back to take the second 15-10 and force a decider.

The Karnataka pair responded in the deciding game, maintaining their composure to win 15-7 and seal the championship. Their victory completed a 2-0 result for Karnataka and denied Assam an opportunity to extend the final to a third match.

Hardik's straight-games success against an opponent with an Asian U-15 title to his name gave Karnataka the early advantage. Pavan and Punith then showed their ability to recover after dropping the second game, ensuring the team converted its lead into the title.

New champions emerge in the absence of defending winners

The championships produced new winners in both team categories after the previous edition's champions failed to qualify for the Inter-Zonals. Mizoram's boys and Telangana's girls were therefore unable to defend their respective titles.

Karnataka and Tamil Nadu took advantage of the opening, delivering consistent performances when the championships reached the final stage. Both teams secured their titles without dropping a team match in the final, underlining the strength of their singles and doubles combinations.

The results also highlighted the depth of emerging junior badminton talent across the country. Diksha SR's performance, backed by her Asian U-17 girls' singles title in 2025, was a notable contribution to Tamil Nadu's success. On the boys' side, Hardik's victory over Bornil Changmai and the decisive doubles performance from Pavan and Punith proved central to Karnataka's championship run.

The 49th Yonex-Sunrise Inter-State Inter-Zonal Junior National Badminton Championships concluded its team finals with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu taking the top honours in the Under-19 categories. Assam and Delhi finished as runners-up, while the new champions added their names to the competition's honours list.

Final results

• Boys U-19: Karnataka beat Assam 2-0. Hardik Divyansh beat Bornil Changmai 18-16, 15-6; Pavan Suresh/Punith Suresh beat Aanayan Borah/Changmai 15-9, 10-15, 15-7.

• Girls U-19: Tamil Nadu beat Delhi 2-0. Diksha SR beat Rishika Nandi 15-12, 15-12; Ananya Arun/Anjana Manikandan beat Nandi/Ishita Negi 16-14, 12-15, 15-10.