Meiraba, Bansod begin with wins at Badminton Asia Junior Championships

Malvika Bansod punched above her weight while Maisnam Meiraba had to work hard for a win as the individual events began at the Badminton Asia Junior Championships at Suzhou, China on Wednesday.

Junior world no. 14 Meiraba, who was India's best-performing Indian in the team event, needed 59 minutes to beat Korea's Sang Yong Park 21-18 17-21 23-21.

The in-form Meiraba, who had won the Russian Junior White Nights tournament, before coming to the continental event, faces the top seed and world junior champion Kunlavut Vitidsarn in the boys singles second round.

Bansod, ranked 83rd, scored a resilient 21-11, 19-21, 21-19 upset win over world number 40 Thi Anh Thu Vu of Vietnam in 54 minutes. She too faces the top seed Phittayaporn Chaiwan in a tough second-round clash.

Sankar Muthusamy Subramanian was relentless in his 21-1, 21-10 demolition of Bangladesh's Md. Abdul Hamid Lukman while Sathish Kumar Karunakaran held off a late surge from Sri Lanka's Lochana de Silva for a 21-9, 21-17 victory.

Unnati Bisht and Ashi Rawat posted breezy wins to make their way into the second round. Bisht sailed past Malaysia's Isabel Liau Bei Yi in just 24 minutes. Rawat needed one minute more to take care of Taipei girl Yeo Ying Chee 21-13, 21-10.