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Indian shuttlers clinched four of the five titles at the India Junior International Series 2026, held at the Pullela Gopichand Badminton Academy in Hyderabad on Sunday, according to Olympics.com.
The finals featured three all-Indian encounters, including both singles events, as India dominated the competition. Top seed Dev Ruparelia won the men's singles title after defeating compatriot Kaushik Veer Reddy 21-12, 21-18. In the women's singles final, unseeded Adarshini Shri Boopathy Balaji defeated sixth seed Shaina Manimuthu 21-10, 21-18 to claim the title. The women's doubles final went down to the wire, with second seeds Diya Bheemaiah and Baruni Parshwalm edging compatriots Lakshmi Ridhima Devineni and Anjana Manikandan 21-18, 14-21, 22-20 after a 72-minute battle, according to Olympics.com. India also secured the men's doubles crown as Charan Ram Thippana and Hari Krishna Veeramreddy overcame Indonesia's Arybka Okta Disabian and Muhammad Zilazik Artando Zakaria 23-21, 17-21, 25-23 in another closely fought final. Indonesia prevented an Indian clean sweep in the mixed doubles, with Muhammad Zilazik Artando Zakaria and Afizzah Rahmadhani defeating India's Yadunandan Kenchaiah and Krithya Sivasankar 18-21, 21-14, 21-17. The tournament brought together more than 225 junior shuttlers from India, England, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, the USA and the UAE across singles and doubles events, according to Olympics.com. Several prominent Indian players, including Rounak Chouhan and Shriyanshi Valishetty, are former winners of the tournament. Chouhan is currently ranked 64th in the men's singles, while Valishetty is ranked 50th in the world. The India Junior International Series is an important event on the international junior calendar, allowing young players to compete against leading athletes in their age group while earning valuable BWF ranking points. India Junior International Series 2026 Winners:Men's singles: Dev Ruparelia (India)Women's singles: Adarshini Shri Boopathy Balaji (India)Men's doubles: Charan Ram Thippana/Hari Krishna Veeramreddy (India)Women's doubles: Diya Bheemaiah/Baruni Parshwalm (India)Mixed doubles: Muhammad Zilazik Artando Zakaria/Afizzah Rahmadhani (Indonesia). (ANI)
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