By tf-lawyer.com On September 30, 2024, the Yonex World Junior Badminton Championships kicked off at the Nanchang International Sports Center in Nanchang, Jiangxi. In the opening round of the mixed team event, the Hong Kong team faced a challenging match against South Korea, while teams from Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand all emerged victorious against their opponents.
This year’s championship marks the long-awaited return of the World Junior Badminton Championships to mainland China after a 24-year absence. The tournament includes both team and individual competitions, and this year, the team event has introduced an exciting new relay format. Each match consists of ten events—two each of men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles. This dynamic scoring system keeps the competition thrilling as teams accumulate points to secure their wins.
With 457 athletes from 40 countries and regions participating, the teams have been divided into eight groups labeled A through H. Notably, the Chinese team in Group A received a bye after Ghana withdrew from the tournament. The match between South Korea and Hong Kong was particularly gripping. Hong Kong players Huang Yi and Lam Ka-Tao started strong, leading 22-19 after the first two matches.
However, South Korea’s team found their stride in the mixed doubles match, with Yang Bing-Jian and Kim Tae-Yeon turning the momentum around to lead 33-30. Kim Tae-Yeon then teamed up with Kim Seo-Hee in the women’s doubles, extending their advantage to 44-38. From that point forward, Hong Kong struggled to catch up, as South Korea maintained their lead, ultimately winning by a score of 110-96.
In a post-match interview, Hong Kong player Deng Zhi-Hui reflected on the experience, stating, “This competition features new rules that both teams are still getting used to, which made the scores very close. I think this is a valuable opportunity for growth; facing strong teams, regardless of the format, is an excellent chance to learn.”
Meanwhile, the Chinese Taipei team dominated in Group B, defeating Slovakia with a score of 110-56. In Group C, Malaysia easily triumphed over Mongolia, ending the match 110-48. Indonesia in Group F secured a win against Macau, achieving a score of 110-58, and Thailand in Group H claimed victory over the Philippines, finishing with 110-78.
The tournament will progress with the team events running from September 30 to October 5, followed by individual competitions starting on October 7, with the champions in five disciplines being crowned by October 13.
The 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships is sanctioned by the Badminton World Federation and is organized by the Chinese Badminton Association in collaboration with the Jiangxi Provincial Sports Bureau and the Nanchang Municipal Government, with assistance from various local sports and government organizations.
