Tara Shah and Ayush Shetty are among the young talents to look forward to in action at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships 2023 as the Badminton Association of India announced the junior squad on Friday for the continental championships. BAJC 2023 will take place in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, from July 7-16.

Currently ranked 7th in the girls’ singles category in the BWF rankings, Tara Shah is a talent in the making. Ayush Shetty also secured his spot in the boys’ singles category. With the current world ranking of 20 in men’s singles in the BWF rankings and an impressive second position in the BAI rankings, Ayush is a valuable asset for the junior side.

Lakshya Sharma and Rakshitha Sree S also proved their mettle during the trials, securing the first position in the boys’ singles and girls’ singles category respectively.

Nicholas Nathan Raj and Tushar Suveer secured the top spot in the boys’ doubles category. Whereas, in the girls’ doubles section, Radhika Sharma and Tanvi Sharma got the first position.

Samarveer and Radhika Sharma stood first in the mixed doubles category.

The team comprises athletes who have showcased their remarkable performances during the Final Selection Trials (Junior) which was held at Karnal Singh Railway Stadium in New Delhi from June 4-7, 2023. These players will represent India in various categories, including boys’ singles, girls’ singles, boys’ doubles, girls’ doubles, and mixed doubles.

Sanjay Mishra, Secretary, BAI, said, “The players fought hard during the trials to earn their place in the team. The Asia Junior Badminton Championships provide a platform to young players to display their talent, compete at an international level, and gain invaluable experience”

He further added, “We will be calling the selected players for a two-week junior national camp from 22nd June to 4th July 2023. The camp will help the players to prepare well for the championships as well as it will strengthen the team bonding which is very crucial for the success in team events like this.”

One of the notable names to miss out on selection was Unnati Hooda, who missed out on advancing from her first group of three shuttlers, suffering a crucial loss against Rakshitha Sree S.

The complete Indian Junior Badminton Team for the Badminton Asia Junior Championships is as follows:

Boys’ Singles:
- Lakshya Sharma
- Samarveer
- Ayush Shetty
- Dhruv Negi

Girls’ Singles:
- Rakshitha Sree S
- Shriyanshi Valishetty
- Tara Shah
- Anmol Kharb

Boys’ Doubles:
- Nicholas Nathan Raj / Tushar Suveer
- Divyam Arora / Mayank Rana

Girls’ Doubles:
- Radhika Sharma / Tanvi Sharma
- Karnika Sree S / Taneesha Singh

Mixed Doubles:
- Samarveer / Radhika Sharma
- Arulmurugan R / Srinidhi N