Dehradun: Second-seeded West Bengal produced a disciplined and well-rounded performance to upset top-seeded Tamil Nadu 3-1 in the Under-19 girls’ team final at the 87th UTT Inter-State Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships, underway at the Multipurpose Hall, Parade Ground.
Coming into the final with strong credentials, Tamil Nadu leaned heavily on former national champion M. Hansini and the in-form Ananya Muralidharan, both of whom had been instrumental in their semifinal victory over Maharashtra. However, the duo could not quite recreate the same impact in the title clash. However, Ananya managed a notable win over Syndrela Das, keeping Tamil Nadu in the contest. But the overall team effort lacked consistency at crucial moments.
West Bengal, on the other hand, displayed composure and depth across the lineup. Avisha Karmakar set the tone by overcoming Hansini in a hard-fought opening rubber, before Ananya restored parity for Tamil Nadu. The momentum, however, swung decisively in West Bengal’s favour thereafter, as Ditsa Roy edged past Shriya Anand in a tense four-game battle to hand her side a 2-1 lead.
With the tie delicately poised, Tamil Nadu once again turned to Hansini to keep their hopes alive. But the experienced paddler struggled to find her rhythm under pressure. Syndrela, sensing the opportunity, raised her level at the right time and delivered a commanding straight-games victory to seal the tie and the championship for West Bengal.
Meanwhile, action in the Under-17 girls’ doubles saw several pairs book their places in the semifinals after competitive quarterfinal encounters. Maharashtra’s Naisha Rewaskar and Divyanshi Bhowmick registered a confident win over Karnataka’s Tanishka Kalbhairav and Himanshi Chowdhary. West Bengal’s Avisha Karmakar, combining with Shreya Dhar, fought back strongly to overcome Delhi’s Tushti Sood and Akansha Singhal in a closely contested five-game match.
Tamil Nadu’s Ananya Muralidharan continued her impressive run, partnering with Nandini Reena Balaji to secure a convincing victory over Maharashtra’s Swara Karmakar and Sukrati Sharma. Another West Bengal pair, Aankolika Chakraborty and Ahona Ray, advanced comfortably with a straight-games win against Haryana’s Tanmayee Saha and Meher Garg.
As the girls’ events approach their concluding stages, the Under-19 girls’ doubles competition has now reached the quarterfinal phase, promising intense battles among the top contenders. Simultaneously, the singles events have progressed to the Round of 32, setting up an exciting penultimate day with several key matchups expected to shape the title race across categories tomorrow.
Results: (Team):
Under-19 Youth Girls: Final: West Bengal bt Tamil Nadu 3-1 (Avisha Karmakar bt M. Hansini 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7, Syndrela Das lost to Ananya Muralidharan 11-13, 11-3, 9-11, 12-10, 4-11, Ditsa Roy bt Shriya Anand 14-12, 11-3, 4-11, 11-4, Syndrela bt Hansini 11-3, 11-7, 11-8).
Under-17 Youth Girls Doubles: Quarterfinals: Naisha Rewaskar/Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) bt Tanishka Kalbhairav/Himanshi Chowdhary (Kar) 11-8, 11-9, 10-12, 11-7; Avisha Karmakar/Shreya Dhar (WB) bt Tushti Sood/Akansha Singhal (Del) 11-9, 6-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-8; Ananya Muralidharan/Nandini Reeja Balaji (TN) bt Swara Karmakar/Sukrati Sharma (Mah) 13-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-3; Aankolika Chakrabaorty/Ahona Ray (WB) bt Tanmayee Saha/Meher Garg (Har) 11-8, 11-6, 11-8.
–TTFI release
About the Author
