Prateek , Saturya win distinct U-13 finals

Kangra (Team Newsbuddy) : Prateek Tulsani of Maharashtra cruised to victory in the Youth Boys Under-13 final, defeating Himon Mondal of West Bengal 3-0 for the title at the UTT National Ranking Championships held at the Rainbow Khelo India Residential Academy today. In contrast, Saturya Banerjee of West Bengal staged a remarkable comeback in the Youth Girls Under-13 final to win the gold.

Prateek’s match was straightforward as he dominated Himon from the start. Despite a strong challenge in the first game, Himon was consistently trailing. Prateek eventually secured an easy win, particularly in the second game, and clinched the third game, after a close encounter.

Saturya’s match was a thrilling contest against Tanishka as she led 10-5 in the decisive fifth game and held five match points. Despite this advantage, Tanishka allowed Saturya to stage a comeback. After a tense deuce, Saturya capitalised on her third match point to win the game and the match, much to the delight of the Bengal camp.

In contrast, Prateek maintained his composure throughout the match, taking control after the first game. Although Himon managed to challenge him in the third game, Prateek stayed focused and won the crucial points to secure his victory.

Himon Mondal and Prateek Tulsani took different routes to reach the Boys’ final, while Tanishka Kalbhairav and Shariqa Shahid did the same in the Girls’ category.

In the Boys’ semifinals, Himon struggled initially against Bengal’s Souswarya Banerjee, who won a critical extended game after saving two game points. However, Himon regained his form, capitalised on Souswarya’s errors, and ultimately won 2-1. Souswarya faded in the fourth game, giving Himon an easy victory. Meanwhile, Prateek Tulsani dominated Tamil Nadu’s Sanjay Arwindh, who crumbled under pressure.

In the Girls’ semifinals, Tanishka Kalbhairav started strong but Shariqa Shahid equalised. Tanishka then adapted her strategy and won the next two games. Saturya Banerjee, on the other hand, had a straightforward win over Aarya Deepak, who was too passive to mount a challenge.

The Boys’ quarterfinals were largely uneventful, with most winners facing minimal resistance.