Manav, Archana, Moumita clinch junior TT titles

Promising paddlers Manav Thakkar, Archana Kamath and Moumita Datta emerged champions in their respective categories in the 78th junior and youth national championships, which concluded at the SAMA Indoor Complex here on Wednesday.

Manav of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) beat Delhi's Parth Virmani 4-0 to win the youth boys singles title while Archana and Moumita won the junior girls singles title and youth girls trophy respectively.

Parth was no match for a rampaging Manav, who unleashed attacking strokes, varying his services cleverly to push Parth on the back foot and win 11-8, 11-9, 11-7, 11-3.

Parth, equally attacking, gasped for breath with Manav continuing with his rhythm that he gained in the morning during the quarter-finals, after a tough match against Akash Pal of West Bengal who stretched him 4-3.

In the youth boys final, it was a tough ask for Manav when he had to return to the table after the junior boys final.

Facing PSPB teammate, Abhishek Yadav, who showed his true form in the semi-final against Birdie Boro, also of PSPB, Manav made his intent loud and clear.

In the junior girls singles final, Archana did not waste any time to outsmart an in-form Moumita of West Bengal to claim her maiden crown by winning 4-0.

It must have been disappointing for Moumita, who reached three finals here, to bow out in the fashion she did against Archana.

Except for the second game which Archana won with a difference of three points, in the other three games she was extended and after a couple of fumbles Archana managed to put it across her rival.

However, the West Bengal girl ensured she returned home with at least the youth girls trophy in her kitty when she beat Tamil Nadu's Harshavardhini Ravichandran 4-0.

--IANS

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