India dominate SAF Junior TT Championships

Shillong, June 19 (IANS) India won six individual titles on the concluding day of the SAF Junior Table Tennis Championships to add to the four in the team event.

India’s domination in the tournament was complete when they won all the six finals at the Jawaharlal Nehru Sports Complex indoor here Tuesday.

With the Indians competing against one another for the gold in the junior boys, girls and cadet categories, the curiosity was limited to which of them would come out on top.

In the junior boys final, second seed Abhishek Yadav defeated No. 1 Sudhanshu Grover 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7, while in the junior girls, Reeth Tennison overcame a tough Mallika Bhandarkar 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11,11-7, 11-13, 11-4.

In cadet boys’ Utkarsh Gupta won in straight games against Birdie Bora while Karnam Spoorthy emerged triumphant against Sutirtha Mukherjee in a gruelling girls final.

The results:

Boys’ Junior (singles): Final – Abhishek Yadav bt Sudhanshu Grover 10-12, 11-7, 9-11, 11-4, 11-4, 11-7;. Semifinals – Sudhanshu Grover (Ind) bt Salman Virk (Pak) 11-6, 5-11, 11-5, 12-14, 11-6, 11-6; Abhishek Yadav (Ind) bt Supun Tharuka Sirisena (Sri) 11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 11-2, 9-11, 11-7.

Doubles: Final – Sudhanshu & Abhishek bt Mani Lama & Anish Shrestha (Nep) 11-8, 11-8, 11-3. Semifinals – Sudhanshu & Abhishek bt Ashiqur Rahman & Jubair Ahmed (Ban) 11-4, 11-7, 11-8; Mani & Anish bt Mudiyansela Jayasundara & Supun Tharuka Sirisena (Sri) 11-9, 8-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8.

Cadet: Final – Utkarsh Gupta (Ind) bt Birdie Boro (Ind) 11-7, 11-9, 11-6. Semifinals – Utkarsh bt Imesh Udaya Ranasingha (Sri) 11-8, 11-6, 7-11, 11-7; Birdie bt Prasad Jayasanka De Silva (Sri) 11-7, 11-9, 11-6.

Girls’ Junior (singles): Final – T. Reeth Rishya (Ind) bt Mallika Bhandarkar (Ind) 10-12, 11-7, 11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-4. Semifinals – Reeth bt Ruvini Kannangara (Sri) 11-2, 3-11, 11-9, 11-4, 11-6; Mallika bt Chandima Vidange Maramba (Sri) 11-7, 11-3, 11-4, 11-9.

Doubles: Final – Reeth & Mallika bt Ruvini & Chandima 14-12, 11-5, 11-6. Semifinals – Reeth Rishya & Mallika bt Abeera Ali Sheikh & Farwa Babar (Pak) 11-4, 11-9, 11-7; Ruvini & Chandima bt Sunita Lama & Kajol Rauniyar (Nep) 11-2, 11-5, 11-7.

Cadet: Karnam Spoorthy (Ind) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (Ind) 3-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, 13-11. Semifinals – Spoorthy bt Muthuma Thuppahi Salpahdoru (Sri) 13-11, 11-9, 11-8; Sutirtha bt Imesha Pavani Sirisena (Sri) 11-7, 11-2, 11-3.