Guwahati welcomed 400 players from 36 teams for the YONEX SUNRISE BWF World Junior Championships 2025, and the event continued to be an ideal platform for BWF’s engagement with the emerging generation of players.
Prior to the start of the mixed team championships, a three-day BWF Youth Athlete Development Camp, supported by Olympic Solidarity, was held from 1-3 October for 38 players and 10 coaches from six countries – Bhutan, Egypt, Ghana, Philippines, Sri Lanka and Uganda.
The players and coaches received on-court training on technical and tactical aspects from BWF expert coaches Jiang Yanmei and Chua Yong Joo of Singapore, and Indian coaches Arun Vishnu and Sayali Gokhale.
A test event, featuring the 3×45 system, was played between the teams, and that helped prepare the players for the Suhandinata Cup. The impact of this training camp was evident at the team championships, with Philippines beating highly-rated opponents such as Hong Kong China and Denmark to finish 10th overall, while Sri Lanka finished 12th.
Education initiatives
During the camp and over the course of the championships, the participants attended workshops on Shuttle Time Youth Leadership, IOC Athlete365 Career+, and info sessions on topics such as BWF BeyondBadminton, Integrity, and Health & Performance by Simply Sport Foundation.
These sessions helped them visualise topics of importance beyond badminton, and into planning long-term careers, while navigating tricky terrain in their professional and personal lives. The info sessions at the BeyondBadminton booth engaged over 400 players from the 36 participating teams, while the IOC Athlete365 Career+ sessions educated 113 players from 19 teams. A unique initiative was Simply Sport’s pioneering programme, Simply Periods, which aimed to educate athletes and coaches about menstruation and its impact on female athletes’ performance
Strong commitment to clean badminton
The iZone Integrity outreach programme ran from 6-14 October, offering participants interactive experiences including a signature wall, a WADA
quiz and photo opportunities with the #iambadminton frame. The signature wall proved especially popular, giving athletes and support personnel a chance to visibly pledge their commitment to integrity. A polaroid station captured moments creating lasting keepsakes for attendees. In total, the iZone engaged over 260 participants.
Empowering athletes with Star Creation
Several dynamic social media athlete-focused Star Creation workshops took place in Guwahati. Over 70 players joined six sessions on safeguarding, brand building and sponsored content designed to help athletes thrive on and off the court. The safeguarding workshop shared practical steps to protect social media accounts and manage online interactions. Brand-building sessions inspired players to create authentic profiles, engage fans and attract commercial opportunities. The sponsored content workshop delved into exploring how partnerships work and how athletes can position themselves for collaboration with leading brands.
