India’s junior shuttlers were off to the perfect start at the BWF World Junior Badminton Championships 2018, defeating Sri Lanka 5-0 in their opening team event group fixture on Monday in Markham, Canada.
India are seeded fifth in the team championships and placed in group E, along with Algeria, Faroe Islands, Kenya and their first opponents, Sri Lanka.
Men’s doubles pairing of Krishna Prasad Garaga and Dhruv Kapila defeated Chirath Illeperumachchi 21-11, 21-10 in 27 minutes in the opening match.
It was Malvika Bansod’s turn next as she survived a scare against Dilmi Dias 14-21, 21-11, 21-6 in a 39-minute encounter. Bansod was the only Indian to drop a game in the tie.
India’s biggest medal hope at the championships, Lakshya Sen needed just 17 minutes to defeat Dumindu Abeywickrama 21-9, 21-8.
Gayatri Gopichand, in the company of Tanisha Crasto, won the women’s doubles encounter against Hasini Nusaka and Anurangi Masakorala 21-9, 21-12 in a 24-minute encounter.
In the final match, Srishti Jupudi and Srikrishna Sai Kumar Podile defeated Sri Lanka’s mixed doubles pairing of Jananuwani Amanda and Illeperumachchi 21-8, 21-13 in 27 minutes.
India face Kenya in another group stage match later in the day.
