Top teams seal berths, Kerala joins after tough battle

Indore (Team Newsbuddy): The Under-15 Girls’ category at the UTT 86th Cadet and Sub-Junior National Championships witnessed an intense day of action at the Abhay Prashal Indoor Hall, as dominant teams from Maharashtra, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Haryana, Karnataka, Gujarat, and Chandigarh stormed through their According to Media incharge R Ramchandran group-stage battles, securing a direct berth in the pre-quarterfinals. Their unbeaten run showcased their superiority, underlining why they are among the top contenders in the tournament.

While the front runners have already sealed their spots, the drama is far from over. The fourth and fifth-round clashes in Groups G and H tomorrow will determine the final entrants into the knockout stage, ensuring an electric atmosphere. With two teams qualifying from each group today, the race remains wide open for Pondicherry and Himachal Pradesh in Group G, and Madhya Pradesh and Assam in Group H—both MP and Pondicherry currently hold a superior winning quotient and an edge over their rivals.

From Groups A to F, the second batch of qualifiers emerged with Goa, Kerala, Punjab, TTFI-1 (Rajasthan), PSPBA, and NCOE, making their way forward. But the path was anything but easy, as several matches delivered high-voltage action, making the battle for qualification fiercely competitive.

Chandigarh’s Teetiksha Goel turned the tide in one of the most riveting contests of the day, snatching a hard-fought victory against Bhavya Rao with an intense 12-11, 11-7, 11-5, 14-12 triumph in the deciding match. Earlier, Madhya Pradesh’s Advika Agrawal emerged as the beacon of hope for the hosts with two outstanding singles victories. She first edged past Teetiksha in a five-game thriller (11-7, 7-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6) before dismantling Chandigarh’s top player, Vani Sharma, in a commanding straight-game win (11-9, 11-4, 11-4). Though MP is yet to confirm a knockout berth, their upcoming match against a winless Manipur squad presents them with an opportunity to turn the tables in their favour.

Elsewhere, Group G delivered another nail-biting encounter as Himachal Pradesh narrowly overcame Mizoram 3-2 in a dramatic finish. The tie saw Divya emerge as the star performer, delivering a clutch victory over Rinpuii Lal (5-11, 11-3, 11-3, 11-2) in the final match. Her doubles partnership with Rudranshi Bhatt also played a crucial role, as they fended off Linda Lal and Maunzeli Lal with a straight-game win to keep their hopes alive. However, Rudranshi had a tough day in singles, falling to Rinpuii and Maunzeli, making Divya’s heroics even more significant.

Kerala’s Helen Nijo rose to the occasion, single-handedly powering her team into the quarterfinals. She dismantled Odisha’s Urja Verma in singles before sealing Kerala’s fate with a clutch victory over Aradhya Sahoo in the decisive rubber. The match, however, was not without twists. Kerala seemed to have things under control with a 2-0 lead, but Odisha fought back when the doubles duo of Sweta and Urja Verma eked out a dramatic five-game victory over Helen and Gouri (11-4, 5-11, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8). Urja then delivered a stunning comeback against N.K. Harshitha (10-12, 11-7, 5-11, 11-7, 11-6), forcing the tie into a last-rubber decider. But Helen, unfazed by the pressure, ensured Kerala’s progression with a commanding performance.

Results:

Youth Girls U-15 Team: (Rounds 1, 2 & 3):

Group A: Maharashtra bt Goa 3-0, UP bt D&D 3-0; Maharashtra bt UP 3-0, Goa bt D&D 3-0; Maharashtra bt D&D 3-0; Goa bt UP 3-0.

Group B: West Bengal bt Kerala 3-0, Odisha bt Bihar 3-0; West Bengal bt Odisha 3-0, Kerala bt Bihar 3-0; West Bengal bt Bihar 3-0, Kerala bt Odisha 3-2.

Group C: Tamil Nadu bt Uttarakhand 3-0, Punjab bt Arunachal Pradesh 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Punjab 3-0, Uttarakhand bt Arunachal Pradesh 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Arunachal Pradesh 3-0, Punjab bt Uttarakhand 3-2.

Group D: Delhi bt Telangana 3-0, TTFI 1 bt Sikkim 3-0; Delhi bt TTFI 1 3-0, Telangana bt Sikkim 3-0; Delhi bt Sikkim 3-0, TTFI 1 bt Telangana 3-0.

Group E: Haryana bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0, PSPBA bt TTFI 2 3-0; Haryana bt PSPBA 3-0, Andhra Pradesh bt TTFI 2 3-0; Haryana bt TTFI-2 3-0; PSPBA bt Andhra Pradesh 3-1.

Group F: Karnataka bt Chhattisgarh 3-0, NCOE bt Jharkhand 3-0; Karnataka bt NCOE 3-0, Chhattisgarh bt Jharkhand 3-0; Karnataka bt Jharkhand 3-0, NCOE bt Chhattisgarh 3-0.

Group G: Gujarat bt Manipur 3-0, Pondicherry bt Mizoram 3-1; Gujarat bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0, Pondicherry bt Manipur 3-0; Gujarat bt Pondicherry 3-1, Himachal Pradesh bt Mizoram 3-2.

Group H: Chandigarh bt Meghalaya 3-0, Madhya Pradesh bt J&K 3-0; Chandigarh bt Assam 3-1, Madhya Pradesh bt Meghalaya 3-0; Assam bt J&K 3-0, Chandigarh bt Madhya Pradesh 3-2.