The VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025, held from June 8 to 15 at the Gilbert C. Ada Gymnasium in Saipan, Northern Marianas, showcased some of the best emerging badminton talents in the region. A week of high-level badminton, there was also an emphasis on education and cultural exchange across the Pacific.
Over 60 students from seven countries showcased their skills in both team and individual events, with the tournament trialing a new global scoring format.
The Mixed Team Championships kicked off the week, followed by the individual championships.
As first-time hosts, the Northern Marianas delivered an unforgettable experience, reinforcing their growing influence in badminton across Oceania.
Mixed Team Event
After three days of intense competition, it all came down to the final morning of the VICTOR Oceania Junior Mixed Team Championships. As Australia and New Zealand faced off for the Oceania title, Northern Marianas needed to beat Guam to clinch their spot on the podium.
Australia surged to a tie lead, taking the mixed doubles, men’s singles, and women’s singles to secure the title 3-0. New Zealand’s valiant effort rewarded them with points in the final two matches for a final score of 3-2.
Northern Marianas held their composure to win their tie against their closest neighbours. In doing so, they secured their first Continental Championship medal, a momentous occasion celebrated in front of a home crowd.
Individual Events
The VICTOR Oceania Junior Championships 2025 finals brought the fiercest of competition and some very deserving champions.
In the women’s singles, Faye Huo (AUS) took the early lead. While Victoria Tjonadi (AUS) closed down the gap several times, it wasn’t quite enough, and Huo stormed to a first game win 21-15.
Going into the second game, Tjonadi took a more aggressive approach, and it paid off. She reached the interval with the lead in her grasp, but once again Huo’s confidence and tenacity pushed her to the win in (21-15, 21-13).
In the men’s singles, Shrey Dhand (AUS) felt the pressure coming into the final. As the number one seed, he felt as if it was his game to lose.
He went up early in the first game, but Landon Kurniawan (AUS) was willed on from the crowd to close the deficit. However, Dhand scored a few crucial points back-to-back to win the first game 21-19.
He continued on this form through the second game, steadying his nerves to take out the win 21-19, 21-15.
Returning to the court for the women’s doubles, Australia’s Victoria Tjonadi and her partner Seryna Xiao looked to upset the VICTOR Oceania Women’s Doubles Runner-Ups from 2025, Mimi Ngo and Maureen Wijaya (AUS). Tjonadi and Xiao refused to give an inch when Ngo and Wijaya attempted to press ahead.
Despite this, an unmissable a sense of composure and self-belief emanated from Ngo and Wijaya’s side of the court.
This energy seemed to grow as the game continued, and eventually, the Oceania runner-ups landed their first Oceania Junior title, beating Tjonadi and Xiao 21-17, 21-18.
The sole Kiwis in competing in finals day, Raphael Deloy and Lezhi Zhu, stepped onto the court for the men’s doubles final, hopeful that they could do something big for their country.
Up against Phillip Halim and Landon Kurniawan (AUS), the New Zealanders immediately went on the attack, taking a lead over their opponents.
After starting slow in the semis, Deloy and Zhu made sure not to make the same mistake twice.
The Australians fought to minimise the gap, but the Kiwis’ conscious effort worked. Raphael Deloy and Lezhi Zhu won the title in the shortest match of the day.
After only 26 minutes, the final score was 21-15, 21-14.
In arguably the most anticipated match of the day, Victoria Tjonadi hit the court for a third time with partner Jayden Lim (AUS) and a goal of gold in the mixed doubles. Their opponents already had one gold each from earlier in the day — Shrey Dhand (MS) and Mimi Ngo (WD).
While Tjonadi fell just short in her previous finals, she refused to let history repeat itself. With poise and self-possession, she and Lim held on through rough patches to come from behind and take the first game, 24-22.
In the second game, Dhand and Ngo attempted to take control of the match, but it slipped out of their grasp. Victoria Tjonadi and Jayden Lim won the second game (21-19) to secure the title.
For an in depth recap of the tournament, click here.