Sudhanshu, Suthirtha crowned junior Asian TT champs

Sudhanshu Grover defeated Abhishek Yadav 4-3 to emerge the Junior Boys singles champion while it was another new face, Suthirtha Mukherjee, who won the Junior Girls singles crown beating an experienced Manika Batra 4-2 on the concluding day of the South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships at the Indira Gandhi Indoor Stadium here Monday.

Earlier, two more fresh names - Anirban Ghosh and Sagarika Mukherjee - won maiden international singles titles in the Cadet sections which, along with the doubles crowns in the junior sections, made it a perfect ten for India in the championships.

The doubles titles went to Abhishek and Sudhanshu Grover in the boys' category, while Manika Batra and Suthirtha Mukherjee combined to claim the girls' crown. In both finals, their opponents were Sri Lankans.

Sri Lanka, who along with India qualified for the Asian Junior championships to be held in Doha, finished the table as the second best team with reasonably good performances coming up from their paddlers.

India also won two silver medals through Abhishek Yadav and Manika Batra to add to their tally.

Results:

Junior Boys Singles: Final: Sudhanshu Grover (Ind) bt Abhishek Yadav (Ind) 4-3 (11-9, 9-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7); Semi-finals: Sudhanshu Grover (Ind) bt Rameez Muhammad (Pak) 4-1 (15-13, 7-11, 11-6, 11-5, 11-9), Abhishek Yadav (Ind) bt Awal Piyush (Nep) 4-0 (11-5, 11-5, 11-5, 11-6).

Doubles: Final: Abhishek Yadav/Sudhanshu Grovere (Ind) bt Vimukthi Wijesiri/Liyanahe Kahawaththa (SL)3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-6); Semi-finals: Abhishek Yadav/Sudhanshu Grover (Ind) bt Jubair Ahmed/Sajid Wahid (Bang)3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-6), Vimukhi Wijesiri/Liyanahe Kahawaththa (SL) bt Mani Lama/Awal Piyush (Nep) 3-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7).

Junior Girls Singles: Final: Suthirtha Mukherjee (Ind) bt Manika Batra (Ind)4-2 (11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 12-14, 11-9, 11-6); Seim-finals: Manika Batra (Ind) bt Tharakie De Silva (SL) 4-1 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 11-13, 11-4), Suthirtha Mukherjee (Ind) bt Bandara Rajaguru (SL) 4-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-4, 11-7).

Doubles: Final: Manika Batra/Suthirtha Mukherjee (Ind) bt Tharakie De Silva/Bandara Rajaguru (SL)3-1 (11-5, 9-11, 11-3, 13-11); Semi-finals: Manika Batra/Suthirtha Mukherjee (Ind) bt Shamin Akhter Minara/Esrat Jahan Nahima (Bang) 3-0 (11-4, 11-4, 11-8), Tharakie De Silva/Bandara Rajaguru (SL) bt Kajol Rauniyar/Manita Chitrakar (Nep) 3-0 (11-6, 11-9, 11-3).

Cadet Boys Singles: Final: Anirban Ghosh (Ind) bt Birdie Boro (Ind) 3-1 (11-7, 12-10, 8-11, 11-8), Semi-finals: Anirban Ghosh (Ind) bt Udaya Ranasinghe (SL) 3-0 (11-4, 11-9, 11-9), Birdie Boro (Ind) bt Jayasanka De Silva (SL) 3-0 (11-7, 11-5, 11-8).

Cadet Girls Singles: Final: Sagarika Mukherjee (Ind) bt R. Harshavardhini (Ind) 3-0 (12-10, 11-6, 11-7); Semi-finals:Sagarika Mukherjee (Ind) bt Pavani Siresena (SL) 3-0 (11-5, 11-9, 15-13), R. Harshavardini Calange (Ind) bt Sheshala Bandara (SL) 3-0 (11-6, 12-10, 11-5).