2024 Junior World Championships: Mutiara Pupus's Highest Dream

Women's singles badminton player Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari at the 2024 Junior World Championship (doc. PBSI).

JAKARTA The women's singles highest dream Mutiara Ayu Puspitasari to get a gold medal from the Junior World Championship will never come true after her steps ran aground in this year's third edition.

The journey from the sixth seed had to stop after she lost to Japanese women's singles, Niina Matsuta, with a score of 10-21 and 19-21 at Nanchang International Sports Center Gymnasium on Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Mutiara seemed a bit difficult to accept the result, especially this is her last chance to play at the junior level. This means that she will definitely never win a gold medal from this important event.

Mutiara is 19 years old next year. Thus, he could no longer compete in the tournament for the athletes 19 years and under.

"Certainly disappointed with this result," said the Ngawi-born athlete with a trembling voice holding back tears, as stated in a statement from PBSI Public Relations.

The duel was the second competitive clash between Mutiara and Niina. Previously, these two badminton players met in the second round of the 2023 Asian Junior Championships.

At that time, Mutiara successfully won two straight games and continued her journey to the final and then came out as the tournament champion.

Mutiara admitted that she could not bring out all the best abilities throughout the match. In fact, he really wanted to be able to achieve the best achievements at this level before entering seniors.

"This is my last Junior World Championship, of course I want the best results. However, I really can't get out of the burden. I can't get out the best of my ability," said Mutiara.

Apart from Mutiara, Ni Kadek Dhinda Amartya Pratiwi and Sausan Dwi Ramadhani must also accept defeat. Dhinda was stopped by the third-seeded Chinese representative, Xu Wen Jing, with a score of 10-21 and 14-21. While Sauce was intercepted by the Chinese women's singles Taipei, Wang Pei Yu, with a score of 18-21, 17-21.

Thus, Indonesia's hopes in the women's singles number now live on the shoulders of Kavitha Nadjwa Aulia who successfully advanced to the round of 16. He won over Anja Blazina of Slovenia with straight games 21-15 and 21-17.

In the round of 16, Kavitha will face the host's representative, Yuan An Qi, who repatriated the ninth seed from Thailand, Yataweemin Ketklieng.