11 March 2023
There were plenty of medals to celebrate during a successful week of action at the U15 8 Nations event in Germany.
Rajvi Parab was the star performer for the England team, winning two individual medals as well as contributing to the team bronze medal at the event held in Ludinghausen.
Parab was the winner of the girl’s singles event in an all-English final against Yashika Racharla, beating her compatriot 21-16 21-7 in the final.
And she was also in action in the girl’s doubles final alongside Aahna Bhatia, the pair not dropping a game on their way to the showpiece before a 21-17 21-7 defeat to by Danish pair Sophia Loudrup and Mille Sorensen.
There was also a team bronze to celebrate, with the team losing just one match at the event.
After a 6-3 loss to France in the opening encounter, England defeated both Netherlands and Switzerland 9-0 to set up a bronze medal clash against Germany, ultimately beating the hosts 8-1 to seal a podium spot.
Badminton England Development Consultant Ross Reid said: “This was the first big International Team Event for most of the players and it took a day or two for them to get used to playing in such a carnival environment against new players with varying styles and tactics.
“We probably would have liked to get the eventual winners France slightly later in the tournament. Having them first game was tough but we gave them a highly competitive match which ended up 6-3 – which could easily have been a 5-4 if not for a few points.
In the Individual Event at the U15 8 Nations I won Gold in Singles and Silver in Doubles. Celebrating it with my Coaches and my team mates back home. Thank you for all your support @TrippAcademy @YCSports pic.twitter.com/oEEF3Vzus1
— Rajvi Parab (@RajviParab) February 27, 2023
“After the first round we grew into the event and put-up professional performances defeating the Netherlands and Switzerland, and the third-place play off against Germany was a convincing 8-1 win.”
Parab’s success was particularly special for Reid, who has been a long-time coach for the junior.
“Having coached Rajvi since she was five years old, I felt very emotional seeing her lift the title and I cannot wait to see what the future holds for her,” he added.
“Huge congratulations to her Academy coaches, who have done a stellar job, and her highly dedicated mum, dad and sister who all have helped her to achieve this remarkable result.
“Rajvi and Aahna Bhatia then reached the final of the girls doubles event against the Danes and put in a good performance – and had a fantastic tournament to take home a silver medal.
“The U15 8 Nations was a successful event for England and it was good to show we can compete against the very best in Europe, challenge them and come out on top.
“Our players now have a clear idea of their opposition and where they are in relation to their foreign counterparts.
“I wish we could replicate this experience for them every week as it is such an education for our young performers and a huge test not only of their badminton but their character as well.”
