Badminton, 2023 BWF World Junior Championships: Meet seven junior stars
The 23rd edition of the BWF World Junior Championships is taking place in Spokane, Washington, United States from 24 September to 8 October. Olympics.com takes a look at some of the future stars of badminton.
Badminton
For the first time ever, the United States are hosting the planet's premier junior badminton event - the BWF World Junior Championships.
The Podium indoor sports facility in Spokane, Washington hosts 400 players from 50 countries participating at this year’s event, taking place from 25 September to 8 October and being broadcast live on Olympic Channel and can be streamed on Olympics.com and the official Olympics app (territorial restrictions may apply).
The World Junior Championships are where we get a glimpse of the players who are set to shine on the badminton scene in the future.
Reigning Olympic champions Viktor Axelsen and Chen Yufei have both claimed the junior world singles title in the past.
But who are some of the biggest talents aged 19 or younger right now?
Find below some of the singles prodigies and doubles pairs to watch at the 2023 BWF World Junior Championships.
1. Alex Lanier, France
The 18-year-old Alex Lanier has already showed his skills on senior level, winning this year’s Polish Open (International Challenge) and last year’s Canada Open (Super 100), which was his first World Tour event title.
He has represented France at the Thomas Cup men's team event, and Sudirman Cup mixed team competition, and claimed the 2022 boys’ singles title at the European Junior Badminton Championships.
His impressive results awarded him Badminton Europe’s Young Player of the Year award in 2022.
The Frenchman is currently ranked world number 51 in men’s singles. In July, he reached a world ranking of No 39.
Alex Lanier won the 2022 European junior singles title.
2. Miyazaki Tomoka, Japan
Japanese Miyazaki Tomoka is the reigning champion in girls’ singles.
The 17-year-old reached the semi-finals at the Indonesia Masters (Super 100) this season, defeating 2016 Olympic bronze medallist and former world number one Okuhara Nozomi in the quarter-finals.
She has reached three finals in 2023, climbing onto the top step of the podium at the Saipan International and the Guatemala Future Series.
Miyazaki is placed as world No.100 on the BWF World Ranking.
3. Pitchamon Opatniput, Thailand
Pitchamon Opatniput is only 16 years old but has already made her way to number 57 on the elite world rankings.
‘Pink’ was in the semi-finals at the Taipei Open (Super 300), where she lost to world number ten Beiwen Zhang of the United States.
Last year, the Thai claimed three lower ranked senior international tournaments - Swedish Open (International Series), Denmark Masters (International Challenge) and Bahrain International (International Challenge).
4 & 5. Kim Min Ji/Kim Min Sun, Republic of Korea
Twins Kim Min Ji and Kim Min Sun played a decisive role in winning the team title for the Republic of Korea at last year’s World Junior Championships.
Earlier this year they faced each other in the girls’ singles final at the Dutch Junior International and reached the semi-finals in doubles.
Kim Min Ji took a silver medal at the at the Asia Junior Championships in July.
6. Zhu Yi Jun, People’s Republic of China
Zhu Yi Yun claimed two junior world titles last year. He won the boys’ doubles with Xu Hua Yu and the mixed doubles with Liu Sheng Shu.
In 2023, he secured another two titles clinching the boys’ and the mixed doubles at the Asia Junior Championships.
The Chinese doubles specialist also made it to the final at the German and Dutch Junior Internationals in mixed with two different partners.
7. Ella Lin, United States
Ella Lin will be hoping to get an extra push from the crowd on home soil in the US, where she competes in both singles and doubles.
The American reached the last eight in singles in last year’s World Junior Championships and will be eager to improve that result.
At the All England Junior Championships in July, Lin took the title in both girls’ doubles and mixed doubles.
You can watch the badminton World Junior Championships on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app (territorial restrictions may apply).