JOIN USIndia finished the South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships winning nine gold medals out of the ten on offer at the Talkatora Stadium as Sri Lanka spoiled the party of the hosts by winning the junior boys’ singles title.
Ranasinghe Uday Imesh stunned Lalrinpuia 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-13, 12-10, 14-12 in the final that lasted for about an hour to claim the junior boys’ title.
"I am delighted, he is a good player, beating him in the final is a wonderful moment for me and our contingent," said 17-year-old Imesh, who made the final after beating the defending champion Utkarsh Gupta.
In the junior girls’ singles, India's Akula Sreeja defeated compatriot Shruti Amruthe 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8. India’s Srushti Helangadi beat compatriot Archana Kamath 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-7 for the cadet girls’ title while the favourite in the cadet boys’ category, Manav Thakkar, beat Parth Virmani 11-4, 11-4, 9-11 and 11-7 for the title.
Earlier in the day, India swept the junior boys and girls doubles titles beating Sri Lanka. The pair of Utkarsh Gupta and Lalrinpuia beat Ranasinghe Uday Imesh and Wickramrahtne MGR Krishnan 11-5, 11-3, 11-8 while Shruti Aruthe and Akula Sreeja defeated Kanangora Ruvin and Priyadarshani STM 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 11-3 in the junior girls’ doubles fubak,
Results: Junior Boys: Final: Uday Imesh Ranasinghe (SL) bt Lalrinpuia (Ind) 11-9, 11-5, 4-11, 11-13, 12-10, 14-12; Semifinals: Lalrinpuia bt Krish Wickramrathne (SL) 11-9, 11-9, 11-9, 11-13, 11-5, Uday Ranasinghe (SL) bt Utkarsh Gupta 9-11, 11-8, 1-11, 118, 11-9, 11-8. Doubles: Final: Utkarsh Gupta/ Lalrinpuia (Ind) bt Uday Ranasinghe/ Krish Wickramrathne (SL) 11-2, 11-5, 11-9.
Junior Girls: Final: Sreeja Akula (Ind) bt Shruti Amruthe (Ind) 11-9, 8-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-8; Semifinals: Sreeja Akula bt Ruvin Kanangora (SL) 11-1, 11-7, 11-7, 6-11, 11-2, Shruti Amruthe bt STM Priyadarshini (SL) 11-3, 11-8, 11-3, 11-5. Doubles: Final: Shruti Amruthe/ Sreeja Akula (Ind) bt Ruvin Kanangora/ Priyadarshini (SL) 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 12-10. Cadet Boys: Final: Manav Thakkar (Ind) bt Parth Virmani (Ind) 11-4, 11-4, 9-11, 11-7; Semifinals: Manav Thakkar bt Santoo Shreshtra (Nep) 11-5, 11-8, 13-11, Parth Virmani bt Virinka Hendahewa (SL) 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 9-11, 14-12. Cadet Girls: Final: Shrushthi Helangadi (Ind) bt Archana Kamath (Ind) 7-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-7; Semifinals: Archana bt Imesha Desilva (SL) 14-12, 11-7, 11-1, Srushthi bt Hansani Kapoogkiyana (SL) 12-10, 11-6, 11-5.