Ranchi: West Bengal’s Aditya Das and Karnataka’s Tanishka Kalbhairav showed their authority on the fifth day of the fifth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships to clinch the U15 boys’ and girls’ titles at the Harivansh Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium. Both players achieved confident 3-0 victories and left little doubt about their superiority.
Aditya faced a spirited challenge from Tamil Nadu’s K. Akshay Bhushan, who again had to settle for second place. The first two games came down to the wire, but Aditya’s composure under pressure proved crucial as he powered through both deuce games before finishing the third with confidence and control.
For Tanishka, the triumph had a special meaning. The paddler from Karnataka, who had come close to a title on several occasions, looked sharper and more confident this time. Her aggressive play left Bengal’s Ahona Ray struggling to find answers and Tanishka remained in full control throughout, securing a well-deserved win in a row.
An action-packed day of top-level youth table tennis saw the U15 boys and girls categories see spirited performances and dramatic comebacks as the finalists emerged after a series of high-intensity quarter-final and semi-final duels.
Aditya and Akshay secured their place in the title fight with back-to-back wins in the semi-finals. Showing sharp reflexes and tactical precision, Aditya defeated Aarav Acharya (TTFI-1) 3-0 in a closely fought encounter. Akshay was also in great form and defeated Prateek Tulsani of Maharashtra 3-0 to book his place in the final.
The quarterfinals had many nerve-wracking moments. Aditya battled through a five-game thriller against West Bengal’s Himon Mondal, recovering from a deficit to win 7-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8. Aarav also showed admirable courage and saw off another Bengali challenger, Somdev Sengupta, 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7. Prateek had an easier outing against Tamil Nadu’s Akash Rajavelu 3-0, while Akshay’s comeback win over Gujarat’s Vivaan Dave 3-2 showed his fighting spirit and ability to thrive under pressure.
The girls section was also enthralling as Tanishka and Ahona were the standout performers. Tanishka continued her dream run, brushing aside West Bengal’s Sreejani Chakraborty in two games in the semifinals with a mix of aggression and poise. However, Ahona had to work hard to defeat his compatriot Shreya in a thrilling five-game clash, winning 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 after a thrilling rally.
In the quarterfinals, Tanishka defeated Telangana’s Sri Saanvi 3-0 while Sreejani easily defeated Assam’s Divija Paul by the same score. Ahona recorded a back-to-back win against Myraa Sangelkar of Maharashtra and Shreya rounded out the semi-final line-up with a comfortable 3-0 win over Ankolika Chakraborty, also of Bengal.
Results:
Youth Boys U-15: Final: Aditya Das (WB) vs K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) 12-10, 13-11, 11-8.
Semi-final: Aditya vs Aarav Acharya (TTFI-1) 12-10, 11-7, 11-8; Akshay bt Prateek Tulsani (Mah) 13-11, 11-9, 11-6.
Quarterfinals: Aditya vs. Himon Mondal (WB) 7-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8; Aarav vs Somdev Sengupta (WB) 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7; Prateek bt Akash Rajavelu (TN) 11-3, 12-10, 11-6; Akshay vs Vivaan Dave (Guj) 3-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 10-12.
Youth Girls U-15: Final: Tanishka Kalbhairav (Kar) vs Ahona Ray (WB) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.
Semi-final: Tanishka vs Sreejani Chakraborty (WB) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7; Ahona vs Shreya Dhar (WB) 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7.
Quarterphenale: Tanishka bt Sri Srivi (Telg) 11-1, 11-7, 11-5; Creasy bt Divija Paul (Asm) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4; Ahona bt Myra Sgelkar (Mah) 11-9, 12-10, 11-8; Shreya vs Ankoka Chakraborty (WB) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8.
