Benjamin Horseman and Jia Bin Lee hope their experience at the Junior World Championships can help propel them onto the senior stage.
The under-19 duo had two months to prepare for the Championships before setting off for China, where they reached the round of 16.
The pair faced up against the very best young players in the world and were thrilled to be able to test themselves in a new environment.
“Obviously, we were very excited to play in China. It’s a crazy country,” said Horseman.
“There’s a really high level of opposition there so it was exciting to see they were like, how they train and how they play.
“It was both of our first times playing outside of Europe. We were quite nervous too because you are playing in front of quite a big crowd on some days. Playing against countries like Japan, who are obviously going to bring a high level.
“It was good, it showcases what level you are playing at. If you are already playing at a high level, you get used to always having to fight for points. When you translate that into competition, it felt quite normal, with that high level of people. You have to fight hard for each point and just persevere really.”
Horseman and Lee led the way in China as part of an English squad that also included Rajvi Parab, Lucy Brierley, Lila Dundas, Jason Ou, and Matilda Franklin.
The new environment proved a welcome challenge for Lee, who admitted it took some time to adjust to the travel and surroundings.
“Going in with a bit of jetlag, going into another new country, it was a different feeling,” Lee recalled.
“The first time we went to practice, the hall was the biggest one I’ve personally played in so that was a different experience.”
“There was quite a lot of pressure, especially because you aren’t just playing for yourself and your team, but you are playing for your country.
“The sport is huge in Asia. The way they handled the event, they made everything so professional. It was a look into what the top players in the world have every other weekend.”
The pair are now looking ahead to the future, with the move to senior competition now in the foreground. They will compete at the Under-19 European Championships and the National Championships before bowing out from their age group.
“I’m one year older than Jia Bin, school wise, so I’ve decided to focus on my badminton and progress into the senior squad for England,” said Horseman.
“I’m quite dedicated to my badminton and the decisions around it. My performance is quite key.”
For Lee, the focus is on continuing to balance both school and his sporting ambitions before also looking to make the step up.
He said: “The culture around badminton in a lot of Asian countries is very different from here in Europe. They are training full time already, and not going to school.
“Whereas loads of the European players have to balance school and training badminton. With less time to train, we have to train more effectively.
“I’m doing both school and sport at the same time. All those skills, I have developed through that have helped me quite a lot in the matches as well. Things like time management.
“After a hard training session, or match, you come back to the hotel and just want to chill. But you have work you need to catch up with. It’s preserving through that and making the good decision to get the work done.”