Anirban, Naina bag crowns

Ashwin, Tulika pocket Cadet boys and girls titles respectively

West Bengal’s Anirban Ghosh and Naina of Andhra Pradesh clinched the Sub-junior boys’ and girls’ singles titles respectively in the South Zone National-ranking table tennis championships at the Sree Kanteerava Indoor stadium here on Wednesday.

Anirban edged out a gallant Lalrinpuia of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy (PSPBA) 11-9, 11-8, 13-15, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8 in a thrilling final. “I was confident of pulling off a victory as I had beaten him (Lalrinpuia) a few times,’’ the 13-year-old from Kolkata’s Naihati Vidya Niketan said after the slugfest.

Anirban looked set to run away with the crown when he won the first two games 11-9, 11-8 but Lalrinpuia had other ideas. The PSPBA lad stretched Anirban with some splendid shots to pocket the third and fourth games 15-13 and 10-12 respectively.

Anirban, however, bounced back when he won the fifth game 11-4 to edge 3-2 ahead. Lalrinpuia, pushed to the edge, then took the contest into a decider, winning the sixth sixth game 11-8.

The final game, which threw up many rallies, was fought tooth and nail by the duo. Anirban grabbed the early initiative by opening up a 3-0 lead before Lalrinpuia fought back to even things at 4-4. Fortunes kept fluctuating and at one stage both players kept trading shots after shots, giving neither an inch. However, Anirban took a crucial 9-7 lead with a fine winner in a rally that lasted 40 shots. The Bengali boy then closed out the game and contest.

In the Sub-junior girls’ final, Naina too had to fight hard before winning 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6 against State-mate Sreeja. The 12-year-old from Hyderabad was overjoyed after lifting her first title at this level. “I am very happy with the way I played and its great to win the title,’’ she added.

Results: Boys: Sub-junior, final: Anirban Ghosh (WB) bt Lalrinpuia (PSPBA) 11-9, 11-8, 13-15, 10-12, 11-4, 8-11, 11-8. (Semifinals): A Ghosh bt Birdie Boro (PSPBA) 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 11-3; Lalrinpuia bt Ayush Tayal (Har) 7-11, 11-2, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-8. (Quarterfinals): A Tayal bt Raja Kundu (NB) 11-6, 11-7, 13-11; Lalrinpuia bt Arjun Ghosh (WB) 11-7, 11-4, 11-9; A Ghosh bt Sarabjit Guha (NB) 11-3, 11-6, 11-2; B Boro bt D Ananth (TN) 6-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, 11-2.

Cadet Boys, final: Ashwin Subramanian (Mah) bt Anukram Jain (PSPBA) 12-10, 12-10, 9-11, 13-11. (Semifinals): A Jain bt Regan Alberqueque (Mah) 11-8, 14-12, 14-12; A Subramanian bt Udit Bhattacharya (WB) 11-9, 4-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7. (Quarterfinals): U Bhattacharya bt Harsha Shrivastava (PSPBA) 8-11, 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5; A Subramanian bt Sameer Pandey (PSPBA) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7; A Jain bt Sriram Kannan (TN) 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-8, 18-16; Reagan bt Wesley De Rosario (Goa) 9-11, 13-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-7.

Girls: Sub-junior, final: Naina (AP) bt Sreeja (AP) 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6. (Semifinals): Sreeja bt Abhinaya Ramesh (TN) 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6; Naina bt CR Harshavardhini (TN) 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8. (Quarterfinals): Naina bt Sagarika M (NB) 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 4-11, 11-8; Harshavardhini bt Moumita Dutta (WB) 9-11, 12-10,12-10, 11-7; Sreeja bt Shruti Amrute (Mah) 12-10, 11-7, 3-11, 11-9; Abhinaya bt Sum-ana Saha (PSPB) 11-5, 11-4, 11-8.

Cadet girls, final: Tulika Roy (WB) bt Prapti Sen (WB) 11-7, 12-10, 11-8. (Semifinals): Prapti bt V Sasya (AP) 11-9, 11-8, 11-4; Tulika bt Swetha Steffi (TN) 11-6, 11-8, 11-6. (Quarterfinals): Prapti bt Yashi (Pun) 11-8, 9-11, 6-11, 13-11, 11-4; Sasya bt Namya Manchanda (Har) 11-9, 11-7, 11-4; Swetha bt Atheya Ghosh (WB) 11-9, 9-11, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8; Tulika bt Neha Kumari (NB) 11-4, 11-7, 11-7.