2025 BWF World Junior Championships

The 2025 BWF World Junior Championships Individual Events, officially known as the Yonex Sunrise BWF World Junior Championships 2025 (Eye-Level Cups), is the tournament component where the world’s top junior (Under-19) badminton players compete for individual titles. It is the second and final phase of the BWF World Junior Championships, immediately following the mixed team event (Suhandinata Cup).

The 25th edition of the tournament is notable for its return to India and for trialing a modified scoring system in line with the Badminton World Federation’s (BWF) long-term consideration for event innovation. It serves as a vital platform for the future stars of the sport to gain international recognition.

Tournament Details

Events and Format

The individual championships consist of five traditional badminton disciplines, played in a straight knockout format:

• Boys’ Singles (MS)
• Girls’ Singles (WS)
• Boys’ Doubles (MD)
• Girls’ Doubles (WD)
• Mixed Doubles (XD)

The draw for each event is populated by players who are nominated by their respective Member Associations, with the seedings determined by the BWF World Junior Rankings as of a specified cut-off date. Competitors battle through successive rounds to reach the final, with the losing semi-finalists in each category being awarded bronze medals.

Venue and Host City

The 2025 Individual Championships take place in Guwahati, Assam, India, a historic host city for the event, which last held the World Juniors in Pune in 2008.

The competition venue is the National Centre of Excellence (NCE) in Amingaon, a modern facility providing a world-class setting for the junior athletes. The championships offer the host nation, India, a significant opportunity to showcase its emerging talent on home soil, following their historic bronze medal win in the preceding Mixed Team Championships.

Tournament History and Trophies

The BWF World Junior Championships was inaugurated in 1992, with the individual events being the original component of the tournament. The champions in each of the five individual disciplines are awarded the Eye-Level Cups.

These cups were introduced in 2011, replacing the former Bimantara Cups, and are presented in partnership with the World Youth Culture Foundation. The individual titles are highly coveted and historically dominated by Asian nations, primarily China, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Japan. Many former winners have gone on to become Olympic and World Champions, including names like Chen Long, Ratchanok Intanon, Kento Momota, Chen Yufei, and Viktor Axelsen, cementing the event’s status as a key predictor of future badminton success.

Reigning Champions (2024 Edition)

The reigning champions from the 2024 edition in Nanchang, China, are:

The 3×15 Scoring System Trial

A significant, innovative feature of the 2025 Individual Championships is the adoption of the 3×15 scoring system on a trial basis. This initiative is part of the BWF’s broader testing and analysis program for alternative scoring systems, aiming to potentially modernize badminton, ensure fairer scheduling, and protect player longevity.

The new scoring format is as follows:

• Match Structure: A match consists of the best of three games.
• Game Scoring: A game is won by the side which first scores 15 points.
• No Deuce to 21 (Setting):
  • When the score becomes 14-all, the side which first gains a two-point lead wins the game.
  • If the score becomes 20-all, the side scoring the 21st point first wins the game (i.e., a maximum score of 21 is possible with this system).
• Intervals:
  • A 60-second interval is taken during each game when the leading score reaches 8 points.
  • A 120-second interval is taken between games.
• Change of Ends: Players change ends at the end of the first game, the end of the second game, and in the third game when a side first scores 8 points.

This system, unlike the traditional 3×21 scoring, is expected to lead to shorter, more intense matches, with every point carrying greater significance, thereby increasing the excitement for both players and spectators. The results and player feedback from the trial will be crucial for the BWF’s decision on a permanent change to the Laws of Badminton in the future.

Key Players and National Interest

The individual event draws the world’s top junior talent, many of whom have demonstrated success on the international circuit.

• China arrives with immense confidence, having just clinched the Suhandinata Cup. Their junior players are highly seeded across all five events, and they aim to dominate the medal table as in previous editions.
• India, the host nation, is poised for a strong performance. Their hopes are particularly high in the Girls’ Singles, with players like Junior World No. 1 Tanvi Sharma and China Open quarterfinalist Unnati Hooda leading the charge, both having been drawn in opposite halves, raising the possibility of an all-Indian final.
• Indonesia, traditionally a powerhouse in paired events, will rely on their doubles combinations and the Boys’ Singles challenge of players like Junior World No. 1 Mohammad Zaki Ubaidillah.
• Japan and South Korea continue to field deep squads, particularly in the doubles categories, aiming to secure titles and maintain their strong presence in the global junior circuit.

The tournament is an essential showcase for young players to transition into the senior ranks and is widely followed by coaches, scouts, and badminton enthusiasts worldwide.