PSPBA edges Bengal in thrilling U-15 team final

Indore (Team Newsbuddy): The 86th UTT Cadet and Sub-Junior National Table Tennis Championships witnessed a thrilling Youth Boys Under-15 team final at the Abhay Prashal Indoor Hall, where top-seeded West Bengal and Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy (PSPBA) battled for supremacy.

Defending champions PSPBA proved resilient, edging out Bengal in a high-intensity contest, thanks to Trishal Raj Kumar, who staged a stunning comeback against Shrestho Chakraborty. Down and seemingly out, Trishal turned the tables, clinching the last two games to secure a 3-2 victory.

Despite the loss, Bengal’s fighting spirit was commendable. Aditya kept their hopes alive after PSPBA’s Sahil scripted a remarkable five-game comeback against him. Trailing 0-2, Sahil adjusted his strategy and won three consecutive games, keeping PSPBA in contention.

Earlier, Trishal fell to Aditya Das (1-3), but Sahil levelled the match with a straight-game win over Shrestho. The Bengal duo of Aditya and Shrestho then increased the pressure by winning the doubles match, putting PSPBA on the back foot. However, Sahil once again delivered under pressure, ensuring PSPBA’s successful title defence.

West Bengal’s 3-1 victory over Karnataka in the semifinals may on paper seem straightforward, but the match presented significant challenges. In contrast, PSPBA displayed complete dominance, registering an emphatic 3-0 win against Maharashtra to cruise into the final effortlessly.

West Bengal got off to a solid start, with Aditya Das overcoming a brief challenge from Siddhanth Dhariwal, winning 11-8, 7-11, 11-5, 11-7. Shrestho Chakraborty then swiftly defeated Karnataka’s top player, Atharva Nawarange, who struggled with his defensive play, making the task easier for Bengal. With just one more win needed, Bengal’s path seemed smooth, but Karnataka’s pair of Atharva and Arnav Naveen mounted a strong comeback in the doubles match. The duo switched positions strategically and surprised Aditya and Shrestho, taking a 2-0 lead. Though the Bengal pair fought back to claim the fourth game, Atharva and Arnav held their nerve to close out the third, stretching Bengal’s agony.

The pressure then shifted to Aditya, who trailed 8-10 in the opening game of the fourth tie against Atharva. The Karnataka player had multiple opportunities to seal the game but faltered at crucial moments. Aditya capitalised on his first chance at 20-19, edging out a tense 21-19 win. However, the lengthy first game didn’t provide much momentum, as Atharva levelled the match by taking the second game. Despite this, Aditya regained control and sealed the match in the third and fourth games, sparking celebrations from the Bengal bench.

PSPBA’s path to the final was far more one-sided. Dhairya Rawat set the tone with a clinical 11-7, 11-9, 11-9 victory over Shouren Soman, followed by Sahil Rawat’s commanding 11-6, 11-5, 11-7 win against Mayuresh Sawant. Maharashtra resisted in the doubles, with Shouren and Mayuresh pushing the contest into a fourth game after winning a tense third set 14-12. However, PSPBA’s pair of Sahil and Dhairya swiftly shut down any hopes of a comeback, sealing the win in the next game to comfortably book their place in the final.

Meanwhile, action continued across other tables as the doubles and singles main draws in the Under-11, Under-13, and Under-15 categories commenced. The Under-11 boys’ semifinals are scheduled for the evening, alongside the highly anticipated Under-15 team final between Bengal and PSPBA.

In the Under-11 singles quarterfinals, Ariv Dutta (NCOE) defeated Arunim Agarwal (Delhi) 11-6, 11-5, 11-9 to set up a semifinal clash with Bengal’s Subham Adhikari, who battled past Daksh Soni (TTFI 1, Rajasthan) 11-9, 11-7, 11-13, 11-8. In the other quarterfinals, Soham Adhikari overcame Tamil Nadu’s H. Tanish 12-10, 11-9, 11-8, while Rajdeep Biswas (Bengal) got past state teammate Gem Mahalanabish 7-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-4. Rajdeep and Soham will now face off in the second semifinal.

As the tournament nears its conclusion, the Under-13 boys will battle it out in the pre-quarterfinals, while the Under-15 singles draw progresses to the Round of 32, setting the stage for an exciting final stretch of competition.

Team Event Results:

Youth Boys U-15 (Final): PSPBA bt West Bengal 3-2 (Trishal Raj Kumar lost to Aditya Das 13-15, 11-9, 5-11, 9-11, Sahil Rawat bt Shrestho Chakraborty 13-11, 11-3, 11-6, Sahil/Dhairya Rawat lost to Aditya/Shrestho 11-7, 11-13, 5-11 5-11, Sahil bt Aditya 9-11, 6-11, 11-3, 11-6, 11-9, Trishal bt Shrestho 9-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-2, 11-7).

Semifinals: West Bengal bt Karnataka 3-1; PSPBA bt Maharashtra 3-0.

Quarterfinals: West Bengal bt Haryana 3-0; Karnataka bt Tamil Nadu 3-1; Maharashtra bt NCOE 3-0; PSPBA bt TTFI (Rajasthan) 3-1.