Ranchi: West Bengal’s Aditya Das and Karnataka’s Tanishka Kalbhairav stamped their authority on Day 5 of the fifth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, cruising to the Under-15 Youth Boys and Girls titles at the Harivansh Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium. Both players posted commanding 3-0 victories, leaving little room for doubt about their supremacy.
Aditya faced a spirited challenge from K. Akshay Bhushan of Tamil Nadu, who once again had to settle for the runner-up spot. The first two games went down to the wire, but Aditya’s composure under pressure proved decisive as he edged through both deuce games before closing out the third with confidence and control.
For Tanishka, the triumph carried a special significance. Having come close to a title on several occasions, the Karnataka paddler looked sharper and more assertive this time around. Her aggressive play left Ahona Ray of Bengal struggling to find answers, and Tanishka maintained full command throughout to seal a well-deserved straight-games victory.
In an action-packed day of top-tier youth table tennis, the Under-15 Boys and Girls categories witnessed spirited performances and dramatic comebacks as the finalists emerged after a series of high-intensity quarterfinal and semifinal clashes.
Aditya and Akshay booked their spots in the title clash with straight-game victories in the semifinals. Aditya, displaying sharp reflexes and tactical precision, defeated Aarav Acharya (TTFI-1) 3-0 in a well-contested encounter. Akshay, too, was in splendid touch, getting past Maharashtra’s Prateek Tulsani 3-0 to seal his berth in the final.
The quarterfinals had seen plenty of nerve-testing moments. Aditya battled through a five-game thriller against West Bengal’s Himon Mondal, recovering from behind to win 7-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8. Aarav also showed admirable grit, rallying past another Bengal challenger, Somdev Sengupta, 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7. Prateek had an easier outing against Tamil Nadu’s Akash Rajavelu, cruising 3-0, while Akshay’s comeback 3-2 victory over Vivaan Dave of Gujarat showcased his fighting spirit and ability to thrive under pressure.
The girls’ section was equally electrifying as Tanishka and Ahona emerged as the standout performers. Tanishka continued her dream run, brushing aside West Bengal’s Sreejani Chakraborty in straight games in the semifinals with a blend of aggression and poise. Ahona, however, had to dig deep to overcome compatriot Shreya in a pulsating five-game duel, clinching it 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7 after a tense exchange of rallies.
In the quarters, Tanishka had demolished Telangana’s Sri Saanvi 3-0, while Sreejani eased past Assam’s Divija Paul with an identical score. Ahona registered a straight-game win over Maharashtra’s Myraa Sangelkar, and Shreya rounded out the semifinal lineup with a confident 3-0 triumph against Ankolika Chakraborty, also from Bengal.
Results:
Youth Boys U-15: Final: Aditya Das (WB) bt K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) 12-10, 13-11, 11-8.
Semifinals: Aditya bt Aarav Acharya (TTFI-1) 12-10, 11-7, 11-8; Akshay bt Prateek Tulsani (Mah) 13-11, 11-9, 11-6.
Quarterfinals: Aditya bt Himon Mondal (WB) 7-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-8; Aarav bt 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 bt Vivaan Dave (Guj) 3-11, 8-11, 11-6, 12-10, 10-12.
Youth Girls U-15: Final: Tanishka Kalbhairav (Kar) bt Ahona Ray (WB) 11-6, 11-7, 11-8.
Semifinals: Tanishka bt Sreejani Chakraborty (WB) 11-8, 11-8, 11-7; Ahona bt Shreya Dhar (WB) 11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 11-9, 11-7.
Quarterfinals: Tanishka bt Sri Saanvi (Telg) 11-1, 11-7, 11-5; Sreejani bt Divija Paul (Asm) 11-9, 11-6, 11-4; Ahona bt Myraa Sangelkar (Mah) 11-9, 12-10, 11-8; Shreya bt Ankolika Chakraborty (WB) 11-4, 11-3, 11-8.
