Bornil Aakash wins Badminton Asia Junior U15 Championship

India's U15 shuttler Bornil Aakash Changmai defeated Fan Hong Xuan of China in the final to clinch the gold medal in the Badminton Asia U17 and U15 Junior Championships in Chengdu on Sunday.

Bornil won the final 21-19, 21-13 against the 14-year-old Chinese in 34 minutes in the boys' singles final. The 13-year-old became the second junior badminton player after Siril Verma in 2013 to bag the top podium finish in the prestigious tournament.

The shuttler maintained a consistent performance all through the tournament and defeated compatriot Jagsher Singh Khangurra in the semifinal on Saturday.

Bornil's performance has added another feather to the remarkable success story of Indian shuttlers on the junior circuit after Ayush Shetty secured the bronze medal in the BWF World Junior Championships at Spokane, USA, earlier this month.

In the other final, Tanvi Sharma lost to Yataweemin Ketklieng of Thailand in the final of the U17 girl's category and finished as runner-up.

Indian badminton has been scaling new heights in recent years marked by a string of remarkable victories in various high-profile competitions. Chirag Shetty and Satwiksairaj Rankireddy now hold the distinction of being the world's number-one men's doubles pair in the BWF rankings.

Their stellar 2023 performance, which included a historic gold medal at the 2022 Asian Games in the individual event and a silver in the team competition, contributed to their top ranking. Prannoy HS has also been a standout, earning bronze medals at both the World Championships and the Asian Games individual event in China.