Gandhidham: West Bengal team asserted its supremacy with a commanding victory over Maharashtra to clinch the Under-15 Girls’ title in the 87th UTT Sub-Junior and Cadet National Table Tennis Championships at the M. P. Mittra Indoor Stadium, Haresh Sangtani Sports Complex, on Monday.
Despite dropping the opening rubber—where Ahona Ray went down 1-3 to Maharashtra’s top paddler Naisha Rewaskar—the Bengal side remained unfazed. Ankolika Chakraborty emphatically levelled the tie, defeating Myraa Sangelkar in straight games to restore parity.
The momentum firmly shifted thereafter. Ahona and Ankolika displayed excellent coordination in the doubles, outplaying the Maharashtra pair of Naisha and Myraa to hand Bengal a 2-1 lead. With the title within reach, Ankolika rose to the occasion in the reverse singles, producing a composed performance to overcome Naisha with ease and seal a well-deserved triumph for West Bengal.
The Under-15 Youth Girls’ team semifinals delivered a mix of dominance and grit, setting up a compelling title clash between West Bengal and Maharashtra.
West Bengal stormed into the final with a clinical 3-0 win over PSPBA, showcasing both control and composure. Ankolika Chakraborty set the tone with a straight-games victory over M. Sri Shaanvi, dictating play with sharp attacking strokes and consistency. The tie’s turning point came in the second match, where Ahona Ray edged past Aarya Redkar in a tense five-game battle, holding her nerve in the decider to seal it 12-10. With momentum firmly on their side, the Bengal duo of Ankolika and Ahona combined effectively in the doubles to wrap up the tie, overcoming brief resistance to complete a comprehensive sweep.
In contrast, Maharashtra had to dig deeper in its 3-1 win over Karnataka. Naisha Rewaskar was the standout performer, delivering two crucial singles victories. She began with a commanding straight-games win over Raashi Rao, but Karnataka hit back through Tanishka Kalbhairav, who defeated Myrra Sangelkar in straight games to level the tie. Maharashtra regained control in the doubles, where Naisha and Myrra played a disciplined match to restore the lead. Naisha then returned to the table to seal the contest, overcoming a slow start against Tanishka to win in four games and confirm Maharashtra’s place in the final.
Meanwhile, the individual events across the Under-15, Under-13, and Under-11 categories are progressing smoothly, and the tournament is living up to expectations. Top seeds and pre-tournament favourites have largely held their ground, advancing steadily through the main draw and setting up high-quality matchups for the finals on the concluding day. The doubles events, too, are shaping up competitively, with strong pairings emerging and promisingly close contests as the championship heads toward an exciting finish.
Results (TEAM):
U-15 Youth Girls: Final: West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-1 (Ahona Ray lost to Naisha Rewaskar 4-11, 11-9, 12-14, 8-11, Ankolika Chakraborty bt Myraa Sangelkar 11-7, 11-5, 11-2, Ahona/Ankolika bt Naisha/Myraa 11-5, 11-5, 11-7, Ankolika bt Naisha 11-9, 11-7, 11-3).
Semifinals: West Bengal bt PSPBA 3-0 (Ankolika bt M. Sri Shaanvi 11-3, 11-7, 11-5, Ahona Ray bt Aarya Redkar 11-9, 5-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, Ankolika/Ahona bt Aarya/Shaanvi 11-7, 8-11, 11-2, 11-9); Maharashtra bt Karnataka 3-1 (Naisha bt Raashi Rao 11-7, 11-4, 11-7, Myrra lost to Tanishka Kalbhairav 8-11, 8-11, 10-12, Naisha/Myraa bt Raashi/Tanishka 11-7, 11-7, 11-8, Naisha bt Tanishka 3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8).
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