Vadodara: The UTT 86th Junior and Youth National Championships kicked off at the SAMA Indoor Stadium, where Gujarat made a strong statement in the Under-19 Girls’ team events. After an unexpected walkover in the first round due to Meghalaya’s inability to field a team, Gujarat capitalized on the momentum and delivered a decisive victory against Karnataka, the group’s top-ranked side.
The second-round match began with Gujarat’s Pratha Pawar taking charge, defeating Karnataka’s Vanshika Deshna in four tightly contested games of 11-9, 11-8, 6-11, 11-7. This set the stage for Riya Jayswal, who overcame a shaky start to edge out Sahana Murthy in a thrilling five-game encounter (9-11, 6-11, 11-6, 12-10, 11-3). Although Gujarat faced a setback when Moubani Chatterjee lost a closely fought battle to Himanshi Chowdhary 9-11, 9-11, 10-12, Riya returned to clinch the decisive victory. In another intense five-game match, she defeated Vanshika 11-9, 12-14, 13-11, 9-11, 11-1, securing Gujarat’s place at the top of Group D.
Karnataka, despite their loss, ensured their qualification as the group’s second team after a win against Jammu & Kashmir in the opening round and a walkover from Meghalaya. Karnataka’s struggles were compounded by an unexpected equipment issue when Vanshika’s racket failed to pass compliance checks. Although the referee issued her a warning, allowing her to continue with a different racket, the incident seemed to impact her focus. The TTFI’s introduction of random equipment checks caused similar challenges for several players, including Maharashtra’s top performers, Pritha Vartikar and Taneesha Kotecha, who also received warnings.
Elsewhere, dominant performances were the order of the day as group leaders stamped their authority. Maharashtra, spearheaded by Annaya Chande, Pritha Vartikar, and Sayali Wani, blanked Uttarakhand 3-0 with notable victories, including Annaya’s commanding 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-3 win and Sayali’s emphatic 11-6, 11-2, 11-1 finish. Maharashtra rested Taneesha Kotecha, confident in their depth and form.
West Bengal also began with a clean 3-0 sweep over TTFI-1 (Rajasthan), led by the composed Syndrela Das. Nandini Saha cruised to 11-2, 11-4, 11-4 win, while Sampriti Roy endured a five-game battle to edge past Aanjali Singh 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 7-11, 11-9.
Haryana showcased their prowess with a seamless 3-0 win against Andhra Pradesh. Tanmayee Saha, Suhana Saini, and Saanvi Dargan delivered confident performances, with Tanmayee and Suhana winning in straight games and Saanvi wrapping up the match against Mouparna Das. Meanwhile, Delhi, led by Vanshika Mudgal and supported by Riddhima Kapoor and Tushti Sood, secured a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Pondicherry.
As the tournament progresses, group toppers like Maharashtra, West Bengal, Haryana, Delhi, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and NCOE have firmly positioned themselves as frontrunners to seal their second-stage places. The knockout stage, set to begin tomorrow, promises an exciting clash of talent and strategy as these teams battle for the championship.
Results: Girls Team Events:
(Round 1&2):
Group A: Maharashtra bt Uttarakhand 3-0; Maharashtra bt Goa 3-0.
Group B: West Bengal bt TTFI-1 3-0; West Bengal bt Kerala 3-0.
Group C: Haryana bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0; Haryana bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0.
Group D: Delhi bt Pondicherry 3-0; Telangana bt Punjab 3-1; Delhi bt Telangana 3-0; Pondicherry bt Punjab 3-2.
Group E: Tamil Nadu bt TTFI-2 3-0; Chandigarh bt Jharkhand 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Chandigarh 3-0; TTFI 2 bt Jharkhand 3-0
Group F: Uttar Pradesh bt Daman & Diu 3-0; Odisha bt Chhattisgarh 3-1; Uttar Pradesh bt Odisha 3-1; Chhattisgarh bt Daman & Diu 3-2.
Group G: Karnataka bt J and K 3-0; Gujarat bt Meghalaya 3-0 (w/o); Gujarat bt Karnataka 3-1; J and K bt Meghalaya 3-0 (w/o).
Group H: NCOE bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0; Assam bt Bihar 3-0; NCOE bt Assam 3-0; Himachal Pradesh bt Bihar 3-0;
