On October 6, 2024, the Yonex World Junior Badminton Championships wrapped up in Nanchang, China, with Indonesia claiming the team championship in a nail-biting finale against China, finishing with a score of 110-103.
In the days leading up to the championship, we had the opportunity to speak with Chinese national team member Hu Zhe’an. He opened up about the pressure-filled moments during the final match. “Falling behind really ramps up the scoring pressure,” Hu explained. “When we’re focused on catching up, it’s easy to hesitate on taking aggressive shots. We don’t want to make careless mistakes, but that only raises our expectations and can actually impact the quality of our play.”
The excitement unfolded at the Nanchang International Sports Center, where the Indonesian team demonstrated remarkable skill. The match kicked off with China’s Xu Wenjing giving her team a promising start by winning the first match 11-7. However, the tide turned when Indonesia’s women’s doubles pairing assumed control, closing out the second match with a decisive 22-15 victory.
In the third match, China’s mixed doubles team, Lin Xiangyi and Liu Yuanyuan, staged a heroic comeback from a 20-30 deficit, rattling off ten points in a row to bring the score to 30-33. Despite their efforts, the Indonesian team continued to build their lead in the following men’s singles and doubles matches, ending the first five rounds with China trailing at 48-55.
As the final progressed, Xu Wenjing faced difficulties against Indonesia’s Mutiarah, and Chen Fanshutian and Liu Jiayue struggled in their doubles match. At the close of the seventh match, China fell behind by as many as 15 points. Although Lin Xiangyi and Liu Yuanyuan managed to narrow the gap to 77-83, Indonesia’s strategic adjustments allowed them to extend their lead, finishing at 88-77.
Indonesia’s Ubaidillah showcased exceptional front court skills in the men’s singles, moving them closer to clinching the Sudirman Cup. In the final men’s doubles match, Lin Xiangyi and Hu Keyuan scored 16 points, but the early deficit proved too steep to overcome. Ultimately, Indonesia celebrated their triumph, lifting the Sudirman Cup once again after a five-year absence.
The 2024 World Junior Badminton Championships featured both team competitions and individual events, with over 400 athletes from 40 countries and regions competing in the team events; the individual competitions are scheduled to take place from October 7 to October 13.
