The World Junior Championships 2024 in Nanchang were an incredibly valuable experience for the entire team — players, coach, and myself as team manager.
The event posed many new and unique challenges, from the long travel and 7-hour time difference to competing in an 8,000-seat arena with air conditioning that caused drift. The players faced large crowds and were surrounded by world-class competitors who are undoubtedly the future stars of badminton.
This exposure will be invaluable for their future development.
Coaching
I had a fantastic opportunity to mentor Raj Popat throughout the event. Together, we focused on preparing the players for the competition, starting with main hall practice and getting the most out of different courts. We worked on adjusting to the drift caused by air conditioning and organised sparring with foreign opponents to further adapt the players to the conditions.
On match days, we guided the players through their pre-match routines, including an early morning mobility session, video analysis, game plan discussions, and warm-up strategies. Post-match, we conducted thorough debriefs using video analysis and in-depth discussions about each player’s performance.
Players
Isha Mekala and Harper Leigh gained invaluable insight into top-level badminton. This experience will help them as they move toward their senior careers. It was the first time both had taken a long-haul flight, and getting acclimatised to the time difference and long journey was an important learning moment. Playing in a large arena with significant drift was challenging, particularly for European players who are less familiar with these conditions.
Raj and I helped the players adapt, teaching them how to adjust tactics based on the faster and slower ends of the court. We also guided them through the process of competing in a major tournament, from nutrition and hydration to pre-match preparation and video analysis.
Performances
Isha played a very strong, seeded opponent from Chinese Taipei, who eventually reached the quarter-finals before losing to the runner-up. Despite the challenge, Isha performed well, particularly in the second set when she became more comfortable with the conditions. Though her opponent’s experience made it a tough match, Isha gained a lot from the experience, and it was an excellent opportunity to compete at such a high level.
Harper’s first match was against a player from the Northern Mariana Islands, and he controlled the game well, finding his rhythm in the arena quickly. In his second match, he faced a highly seeded Thai player (3 in the world rankings), who had reached the semi-finals of the Asian Junior Championships, a prestigious event. Harper started strong, keeping pace with his opponent in the first set, but struggled to maintain his level as the match progressed. He particularly found it difficult to control his lifts in the faster end during the second set. Despite the loss, Harper took many positives from the match, and our post-game discussions highlighted key areas for improvement to help him reach the next level.
Summary
I am incredibly pleased that our team had the opportunity to experience all the challenges of competing in a major championship. Harper will compete in the European Junior Championships this December and then move into the senior circuit next year, so this was a vital stepping stone for his progression.
At just 15, Isha has the potential to participate in three more World Junior Championships. Each one will provide her with invaluable experience, and by the time she reaches the full age category, she could be competing with the best juniors in the world.
Finally, this was an excellent opportunity for Raj to experience the demands of high-level coaching and understand what it takes to deliver top performance in international competition.
Graham Hurrell
Head of Performance