Shimla, Apr 10 (PTI) India’s young paddlers extended their dominant run, storming into the singles quarterfinals in both U-19 and U-15 categories at the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships after a golden sweep in team events.
However, across categories, India’s higher-ranked players were rewarded with first-round byes, ensuring direct entry into the semifinals scheduled on Saturday.
With the two-player-per-nation cap in singles, the hosts made full use of their opportunities, asserting near-total control of the draws.
In the Under-19 boys category, Priyanuj Bhattacharjee and Punit Biswas topped their respective groups in commanding fashion, both maintaining unbeaten records.
Bhattacharjee was flawless throughout, while Biswas, after conceding a lone game to Sri Lanka’s Akain Viyanduwa despite leading 2-0, quickly reasserted control with a clinical 3-0 victory over Nepal’s Erish Shakya.
The Indian girls were no less dominant. Jennifer Varghese and Ananya Muralidharan cruised through the Under-19 girls’ group without dropping a single game, outclassing their opponents with effortless 3-0 wins to underline their title credentials.
In the Under-15 boys section, Aditya Das and Akshay Kirikara advanced to the quarterfinals with similar authority.
Das dropped just one game in his campaign against Sri Lanka’s Yenul Abeywickrama but remained firmly in control otherwise.
Kirikara, the left-hander, was in scintillating touch, dispatching Bangladesh’s Midul Mohammad and Nepal’s Nischal Thapa with identical straight-game victories.
The Under-15 girls’ contingent continued the clean sweep, with Ankolika Chakraborty and Ahona Ray mirroring their senior counterparts by topping their groups and progressing to the knockout stage without fuss.
Meanwhile, the doubles events commenced from the quarterfinal stage, with one pair per nation in contention.
The race for medals intensifies on the concluding day on Saturday, where India will look to convert its dominance into a rich haul of titles. PTI SSC SSC ATK
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