Fortius Sports Academy Clinches Six National Medals at 2026 U.S. Junior Championships

Cumming, Georgia: Fortius Sports Academy has once again placed Forsyth County on the national badminton map after its athletes delivered an outstanding performance at the 2026 YONEX U.S. Junior National Championships, earning six national medals—the most won by any badminton club from Georgia at this year’s championships.

The USA Badminton Junior National Championships are considered the highest level of junior badminton competition in the United States. Held annually for players in the U11 through U19 age groups, the tournament brings together many of the nation’s most talented young athletes to compete in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles events.

The 2026 YONEX U.S. Junior National Championships took place from July 8–14 at Wichita’s Edge Sports Complex in Bel Aire, Kansas. Throughout the week, athletes demonstrated impressive skill, determination, and sportsmanship while competing against the best players in their age groups.

Beyond rankings and medals, Junior Nationals provides players with valuable national-level experience and an opportunity to measure their development, represent their clubs and academies, and build lasting connections within the badminton community.

Fortius Sports Academy represented by 21 young athletes, who competed against the nation’s top junior players across singles, doubles and mixed doubles events. Their performances reflected months of disciplined preparation and highlighted the growing strength of youth badminton in Forsyth County.

Leading the team was Krishnavi Kasu, who captured the U13 Girls’ Singles National Championship, becoming one of the country’s top junior badminton players. She also earned a silver medal in U13 Girls’ Doubles and finished fourth in Mixed Doubles, making her one of the tournament’s most accomplished competitors.

Fortius athletes also produced several outstanding national finishes:

• Haripriya Tati and Mukil Nambikumar finished 4th nationally in U19 Mixed Doubles.
• Adithya Yeluguri placed 6th in U13 Boys’ Singles.
• Devansh Ponnapalli finished 6th in U11 Boys’ Doubles.
• Mithun Gopinath and Mukil Nambikumar secured 6th-place finishes in U19 Boys’ Doubles.
• Strong performances were also recorded by Ritvik Singh and several other Fortius athletes across their respective age groups and events.

For three athletes—Abhi Lasya Reddy Gopu, Aarav Juven Prabhu and Bhavanyaa Arunkumar—the tournament marked their first appearance at a U.S. Junior National Championship. Competing on badminton’s biggest junior stage in the country, they demonstrated confidence, resilience and maturity while gaining invaluable national-level experience.

The Fortius Sports Academy delegation included:

Aaradhana Santhosh, Aarav Juven Prabhu, Abhi Lasya Reddy Gopu, Abhinav Yadagiri, Adithya Yeluguri, Advik Kevlani, Ananya Mishra, Arjun Kasu, Arjun Rajkumar, Bhavanyaa Arunkumar, Devansh Ponnapalli, Haripriya Tati, Krishnavi Kasu, Lokesh Ravuri, Meghna Yeluguri, Mithun Gopinath, Mukil Nambikumar, Ritvik Singh, Sankeerthi Marasani, Tushaar Praveen and Yashas Cheerlavancha.

According to Fortius coaches, the results are the outcome of a comprehensive athlete development philosophy rather than preparation focused on a single tournament. Training programs are individualized for each athlete and incorporate technical skills, tactical awareness, physical conditioning, agility, injury prevention, recovery planning and mental performance coaching.

“Our objective is to develop complete athletes who are prepared to compete confidently at the highest levels,” said Fortius management. “Winning medals is important, but equally important is helping young athletes build discipline, resilience, character and a lifelong love for sport.”

The performances of the Fortius athletes were widely recognized by coaches and badminton clubs from across the United States, who praised the team’s professionalism, discipline and sportsmanship throughout the week-long championship.

Behind every athlete’s success was a dedicated support system. Coaches invested countless hours in individualized training and match preparation, while parents made significant commitments of time, travel and encouragement throughout the season.

Academy leadership coordinated programs and resources to ensure athletes arrived prepared for the country’s most competitive junior badminton event. The academy’s success reflects the rapid growth of badminton within Forsyth County and the expanding opportunities available to local youth to compete at the national level.

With six national medals, multiple Top-6 finishes and 21 athletes representing the community on one of the sport’s biggest stages, Fortius Sports Academy continues to establish itself as one of the leading junior badminton development programs in the United States while proudly showcasing the talent emerging from Forsyth County.

As the academy looks ahead, its focus remains unchanged: providing world-class coaching and athlete-centered development that helps young players pursue excellence at the state, national and international levels while building confidence, leadership and character through sport.