New Zealand’s future stars have just completed their competitions of the 2026 U16 Shonai International Invitational, with both Amy Wang and Ben Rambaud challenging a number of the world’s leading junior badminton players.
Amy Wang (North Harbour) continued her impressive form, progressing through the group stage to secure a place in the Championship Quarterfinals for positions 1-8.
Amy started the tournament with victories over Denmark’s Lærke Mouritsen (17-15, 15-5) and Japan’s Chinari Kuronuma (15-7, 15-11), before taking on Thailand’s Pornchanok Chumarj (8-15, 9-15). Her strong performances earned her a quarterfinal clash against Japan’s Yubuki Azumaya, where she narrowly missed out on a place in the semifinals, falling 15-11, 14-16, 10-15 in a closely contested match.
Ben Rambaud (Counties) made an encouraging Shonai debut, competing in several hard-fought matches throughout the tournament. He produced a determined comeback victory over Esteyban Sainthuile T, recovering from one game down to win 8-15, 15-12, 15-11.
Ben also faced Malaysia’s Haw Wen Hoven Soon (15-8, 7-15, 8-15) and Japan’s Osuke Takahata (5-15, 8-15) during the group stage before advancing to the 9-16 playoff quarterfinals. There, he delivered an impressive performance to defeat Scotland’s Calum Tsang 15-7, 15-2 and secure his place in the semifinals. Ben’s tournament concluded with a narrow 15-13, 15-13 semifinal loss to Australia’s Chen Qiu, capping off a strong first appearance at Shonai.
While the competition has come to an end, the experience is far from over.
The New Zealand team will now head to a training camp with Futaba Future School, where they will continue to develop their skills alongside international players and coaches. The camp provides another valuable opportunity for learning, cultural exchange, and player development beyond the tournament environment.
Badminton New Zealand extends its sincere thanks to Badminton Oceania for making this opportunity possible. Their continued support of international development experiences plays an important role in helping New Zealand’s emerging athletes grow both on and off the court.
We look forward to seeing Amy and Ben make the most of the training camp as they continue their Shonai journey and bring home valuable experiences to support their future development.