Rajgir: P.B. Abhinand of Tamil Nadu and Priyanuj Bhattacharyya of Assam will face off in the Under-18 Boys’ Singles final at the Khelo India Youth Games tomorrow. In the Girls’ category, M. Hansini of Tamil Nadu will meet Maharashtra’s Kavya Bhatt in a highly anticipated title clash.
In the Boys’ semifinals, Abhinand produced a commanding 3-0 win over Kushal Chopda of Maharashtra, and Priyanuj confidently dispatched M.R. Balamurugan by the same margin, denying the Tamil Nadu player a spot in the final. As the competition neared its climax, Abhinand showcased poise and precision, outplaying Kushal, who struggled with control and timing. Priyanuj, meanwhile, took charge early against Balamurugan, whose promising rallies fell short as he failed to regain composure under pressure.
Abhinand faced stiff resistance from Punit Biswas of West Bengal, who levelled the score and stretched the third game to give the Tamil Nadu paddler a real scare. However, Abhinand held his nerve and outplayed his opponent to seal a place in the Boys’ semifinals. Kushal Chopda of Maharashtra surged ahead with a 2-0 lead against Naman Bhatnagar of Himachal Pradesh, only to see his advantage slip as Naman fought back to level the match. In the decider, Kushal raised his game at the right moment to secure a hard-fought victory and move forward.
Balamurugan of Tamil Nadu, however, had no such troubles. He dominated Arush Middela Reddy of Telangana, defeating him in straight games without breaking a sweat. Priyanuj of Assam followed suit, ending the impressive run of Bihar’s Harshit Kumar, who had done well to reach the quarterfinals.
In the first Girls' semifinal, M. Hansini of Tamil Nadu was pushed hard by her Maharashtra opponent, Divyanshi Bhowmick. Although the top-seeded Hansini dropped the opening game, she fought back with conviction to secure a 3-1 victory and book her place in the final. Divyanshi showed great resilience in the third game, even holding a chance to level the match, but Hansini edged it 13-11 and eventually closed out the contest in time. In the second semifinal, an all-Maharashtra affair, the left-handed Kavya Bhatt faced little resistance as she cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win, sealing her spot in the final.
In the quarterfinals, firing from the outset, Hansini overpowered Sayani Panda of West Bengal 3-0. Divyanshi encountered some battle in the extended second game against Tamil Nadu’s Nandhini Reena Balji, but kept her composure to register a commanding 3-0 win.
The biggest upset of the day came when group topper Vanshika Mudgal from Delhi suffered a shock defeat at the hands of Sukrati Sharma of Maharashtra. Despite holding a significant lead, Vanshika squandered the advantage, allowing Sukrati to claim a 2-1 lead before completing the win 3-1. In the final quarterfinal, Kavya made light work of Diya Brahmachary from Delhi, cruising to a comfortable 3-0 victory to book her spot in the semifinals.
Results:
Youth Boys Singles: Semifinals: P.B. Abhinand (TN) bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 11-8, 11-8, 11-6; Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) bt M.R. Balamurugan (TN) 11-7, 11-2, 11-8.
Quarterfinals: Abhinand bt Punit Biswas (WB) 11-5, 4-11, 12-10, 11-9, Kushal by Naman Bhatnagar (HP) 11-7, 11-6, 9-11, 5-11, 11-5, Balamurugan bt Arush Middela Reddy (Telg) 11-5, 11-5, 11-6, Priyanuj bt Harshit Kumar (BHR) 11-8, 11-7, 11-3.
Youth Girls Singles: Semifinals: M. Hansini (TN) bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 7-11, 11-7, 13-11, 11-9; Kavya Bhatt (Mah) bt Sukrati Sharma (Mah) 11-5, 11-8, 11-4.
Quarterfinals: Hansini bt Sayani Panda (WB) 11-3, 11-4, 11-9, Divyanshi bt Nandhini R Balaji (TN) 11-3, 15-13, 11-8, Sukrati Sharma bt Vanshika Mudgal (Del) 3-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-7, Kavya bt Diya Brahmachary (Del) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4.
