Badminton World Youth Championship individual events- Chinese players win three championships

On October 13th, the 2024 Yonex World Junior Badminton Championships wrapped up in Nanchang, Jiangxi, with Chinese players claiming titles in men’s singles, women’s singles, and mixed doubles.

In the mixed doubles final, Chinese duo Lin Xiangyi and Liu Yuanyuan, the number two seeds, faced off against Taiwan’s Lai Boyou and Sun Liangqing, the sixth seeds. The match began with Lin and Liu taking an early lead, but at a score of 11-17, their opponents made a strong comeback, narrowing the gap to 17-18. However, Lin and Liu held their nerve, ultimately winning 21-18 in a close first set.

In the second set, the pair, who had been trailing 6-9, surged back to score nine consecutive points, sealing the victory with a final score of 21-14. “I’m very excited and happy. This is our last World Junior Championship as we’re about to move up to senior competitions. Winning this title gives us a fulfilling honor in our junior careers,” Liu Yuanyuan expressed.

Prior to the singles finals, the championships had already confirmed titles for the men’s and women’s singles, both won by Chinese players. In the men’s singles final, top seed Hu Zhe’an defeated his teammate Wang Zijun in straight sets, marking the first time since Sun Feixiang in 2016 that a Chinese player has claimed the World Junior Championship men’s singles title.

In a fiercely contested ‘internal battle’ for the women’s singles title, Xu Wenjing triumphed over her teammate Yin Yiqing after three hard-fought games, finishing with scores of 19-21, 23-21, and 21-11. “It’s been eight years since the women’s singles title returned to a Chinese player at the World Juniors. I’m thrilled to have won the gold, but once I step off the podium, it’s back to square one. If I get the chance to compete again next year, my goal will still be the gold medal,” Xu Wenjing said.

In men’s doubles, Lin Xiangyi and Hu Keyuan faced Malaysia’s number one seeds, Jiang Kaixing and Dai Weiqin, but after a tough fight, they fell short with scores of 18-21, 21-15, and 18-21. Meanwhile, in the women’s doubles, no Chinese pair reached the final, with Japan’s Hiramoto Ririka and Tamaki Ami defeating Malaysia’s Liu Ziyu and Dania to claim the championship.

This year’s World Junior Championships featured both team and individual events, attracting 467 athletes from 49 countries and regions.