Panchkula: In a thrilling display of young talent and fierce determination, West Bengal’s Rajdeep Biswas and Karnataka’s Sakshya Santosh stole the spotlight, clinching the Under-11 Youth Boys and Youth Girls titles at the fourth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships at the Tau Devi Lal Multipurpose Indoor Stadium today.
Rajdeep and Aarav Sahney powered their way through intense semifinal battles against Maharashtra’s Rajvardhan Tiwari and Yuvaan Singh Walia. But once in the final, Rajdeep was unstoppable, delivering a commanding 3-0 victory to secure the crown with confidence and flair.
On the girls’ side, Sakshya started cautiously against Bengal’s Debanna Ari, eking out a hard-fought first game. That close win ignited her competitive fire, and she soared through the next two games with brilliant strategy, sharp placement, and trademark finesse, sealing a 3-0 triumph and lifting the championship trophy in style.
The boys’ draw saw Rajdeep and Aarav rise to the top after navigating contrasting but equally impressive paths to the final. In the semifinals, Rajdeep shrugged off an early setback against Rajvardhan Tiwari from Maharashtra to rebound with authority, winning 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7. Once he found his rhythm and tempo, Rajdeep dictated the pace efficiently, combining consistency with controlled aggression.
The tie of the boys’ section, however, unquestionably belonged to Aarav and Yuvaan Walia Singh of Maharashtra. Trailing by two games and staring down the elimination barrel, Aarav mounted a stirring comeback to edge a nail-biter 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9. With each game turning into a pressure test, Aarav’s composure in the finishing phases stood out as he clawed his way into the final.
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Rajdeep had recorded a comfortable straight-games victory over Vardaan Kolte of Maharashtra (11-7, 11-7, 11-7), while Rajvardhan accounted for Naksh Patel of Gujarat in another clinical performance of 11-9, 11-8, 11-8. Yuvaan overcame Vaibhav Jeenepalli of Andhra Pradesh 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, and Aarav showcased early resilience, rallying from two games down to defeat Satvik Sharma of Punjab 10-12, 2-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5.
The girls’ knockouts served up equal drama, with Sakshya and Debanna sealing their places in the final after commanding yet hard-earned victories. Sakshya continued her confident run by beating Anshika Gupta of UP 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7, mixing crisp placement and early initiative to keep momentum largely in her favour.
The match of the day—and arguably of the entire knockout slate—unfolded between Debanna and Dayita Roy, also from West Bengal. In a gripping five-game thriller decided on razor-thin margins, Debanna survived a barrage of pressure to prevail 11-9, 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 12-10. Saving multiple game points and delivering clutch winners in back-to-back duels, she showcased outstanding nerve and competitive fire.
Quarterfinal action was similarly intense. Sakshya swept past Inaya of UP 11-8, 11-2, 11-4, while Anshika overcame Amani from Punjab 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-2. Dayita ousted local girl Moksha 11-3, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8, and Debanna set the tone for her dramatic afternoon by winning yet another five-game heart-stopper, defeating Tamanna Nerlaje of Karnataka 11-5, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9.
Meanwhile, the Under-13 Boys and Girls events have wrapped up their group stages. The main draw begins later tonight, and results will follow as the action unfolds.
Results:
Youth Boys U-11: Final: Rajdeep Biswas (WB) bt Aarav Sahney (TTFI-1)11-4, 11-5, 11-6.
Semifinals: Rajdeep bt Rajvardhan Tiwari (Mah) 9-11, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7; Aarav bt Yuvaan Singh Walia (Mah) 9-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9.
Quarterfinals: Rajdeep bt Vardaan Kolte (Mah) 11-7, 11-7, 11-7; Rajvardhan bt Naksh Patel (Guj) 11-9, 11-8, 11-8; Yuvaan bt Vaibhav Jeenepalli (AP) 11-3, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8; Aarav bt Satvik Sharma (Pun) 10-12, 2-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-5.
Youth Girls U-11: Final: Sakshya Santosh (Kar) bt Debanna Ari (WB) 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.
Semifinals: Sakshya bt Anshika Gupta (UP) 11-7, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7; Debanna bt Dayita Roy (WB) 11-9, 9-11, 11-13, 12-10, 12-10.
Quarterfinals: Sakshya bt Inaya (UP) 11-8, 11-2, 11-4; Anshika bt Amani (Pun) 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-2; Dayita bt Moksha (Har) 11-3, 7-11, 11-4, 11-8; Debanna bt Tamanna Nerlaje (Kar) 11-5, 11-13, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9.
