SL beat NZ to secure 19th place at BWF World Junior

The Sri Lanka Junior Badminton team

By Susil Premalal

Sri Lanka finished 19th in the Mixed Team Event at the 2024 BWF World Junior Badminton Championships held in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.

The Sri Lankan Squad, consisting of Thilina Rajakurana, Varangana Jayawardana, Rashmi Mudalige, Ranithma Liyanage, Shenuk Samararatne, and Thidasa Weragoda, delivered a strong performance to defeat New Zealand with a combined relay score of 110-97.

Sri Lanka won nine out of 10 matches, overcoming the challenges of the newly introduced relay scoring system, which made its debut at this year’s World Junior Championships.

In the group stage, Sri Lanka were placed in Group ‘F’ alongside Indonesia, Poland, Macau, and the Northern Mariana Islands.

They dominated Macau in their opening match with a resounding 110-63 victory. However, they faced a tough challenge against Indonesia, falling 62-110.

Sri Lanka’s third match was a nail-biter against Poland, where they narrowly lost 104-110, before making history with a record win over the Northern Mariana Islands, winning 110-45.

Following the group stage, Sri Lanka defeated Peru 110-92 but lost to Vietnam 83-110 in the 17-24 playoffs, setting up a 19th-place showdown against New Zealand.

The newly implemented relay scoring system, where the first team to reach 110 points wins the tie, added an extra layer of complexity to the competition, but Sri Lanka adapted well to secure their final ranking.

Indonesia topped the Mixed Team podium, while China claimed Silver and Malaysia took Bronze.

The Sri Lankan players, who competed in the Mixed Team Event, Achinthya Madapathage, Pasindu Muthuthantrige, Dilni Ambalangodage, Isuri Attanayake, Pamith Attanayake, Sithumi de Silva, Sanjula Handapangodage, and Sandathi Hewagallage, are set to compete in the individual and doubles events, which begin today at the same venue.