6 December, 2024
England’s best young shuttlers took the next steps in their development at a competitive 2024 European Junior Championships.
In the men’s doubles, Benjamin Horseman and Jia Bin Lee continued their fine form by reaching the quarter-final stage, winning two matches in straight games before being edged out in a nail-biting decider by Danish pair Phillip Kryger Boe and Jesper Ostergaard Christensen.
James Song and Dillon Chong also tasted victory on two occasions in the same event before they were narrowly beaten 18-21 21-18 19-21 by Mikolaj Morawski and Krzysztof Podkowinski of Poland.
Sofie Chong and Lucy Dodd sailed through to the last 16 of the women’s doubles events following two impressive straight games victories before losing out 13-21 7-21 to eventual runners-up Amanda Aarrebo Petersen and Maria Hojlund Tommerup from Denmark.
Lila Dundas and Matilda Franklin also showcased their potential with an excellent 21-10 21-18 win in the round of 64 before suffering a 19-21 15-21 defeat to Anja Blazina and Ariana Korent of Slovakia.
In the mixed doubles, Horseman and Franklin saw off Roel Pipeleers and Lieke van Parys of Belgium 21-19 10-21 22-20 in the round of 64 before they were beaten in the round of 32, while Song and Sofie Chong were eliminated one stage earlier.
Dillon Chong, Rajvi Parab and Yashica Racharla reached the round of 64 stage of the singles tournament, while Oliver Wu went one better, with a brilliant 19-21 21-18 21-17 comeback victory over Dutchman Noah Warning before he suffered defeat to Romania’s Luca-Stefan Pandele 19-21 7-21.