Vadodara: The Under-19 Boys’ team event in the 86th UTT Junior and Youth Nationals at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex reached a fever pitch today as the top eight teams from each group secured their pre-quarterfinal berths.
Dominating the leaderboard were West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Assam, Delhi, PSPB Academy, Haryana, and NCOE. But the day’s drama came courtesy of a nail-biting clash between Haryana and hosts Gujarat, leaving spectators on the edge of their seats.
The spotlight shone brightly on the Group G second-round showdown. Haryana, tipped to top their group, found themselves embroiled in a fierce duel with Gujarat, who were determined to punch above their weight and stake their claim for a spot in the next round. The battle opened with Haryana’s Rishabh Mayank securing a confident 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 win over Janmejay Patel. Gujarat, however, wasn’t backing down. Their star, Arman Shaikh, pulled off a gutsy 11-9, 9-11, 3-11, 11-4, 11-5 comeback against Siddhant Kataria of Delhi, leveling the tie and giving the home crowd much to cheer about.
In the third rubber, Haryana regained the upper hand through Nikunj Attri’s hard-fought victory over Gujarat’s Dhyey Jani. The match turned into a marathon, with Nikunj eking out a 12-10 win in the third game and clinching the decider on his sixth match point at 17-15. The crowd could hardly catch its breath when Arman stepped up once more, steamrolling Rishabh with a commanding 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 win to equalize the tie again.
The fate of the match then rested on the final duel between Siddhant and Janmejay. Siddhant faltered initially, conceding the opening game after a tense deuce battle. But with nerves of steel, he turned the tables, cruising to a 5-11 win in the second game before closing out the match with a resounding finish. Haryana's victory was hard-earned but sweet, catapulting them to the top of Group G.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu, led by the ever-reliable P.B. Abhinand, breezed past Manipur and Kerala with back-to-back 3-0 wins, showcasing their clinical efficiency. Maharashtra mirrored this dominance, dispatching Uttarakhand and Punjab without dropping a match. Over in Group F, Assam faced a brief scare against Telangana. Despite a commanding 2-0 lead, Telangana’s Rishabh Singh Malkapuri stepped up to deliver a spirited 11-7, 11-6, 11-9 win over Assam’s Swapnanil, briefly keeping his team in the hunt. However, Assam’s Priyanuj snuffed out any hopes of an upset, clinching the tie with a composed 12-10, 11-8, 11-9 victory over Arush Reddy.
Adding intrigue to the day, West Bengal’s Ankur Bhattacharjee found himself under scrutiny for racket compliance issues, failing the thickness test twice in a row. While he evaded a third check due to the limited competition in Group A, the spotlight will remain firmly on him as the pre-quarterfinals unfold tomorrow.
With tempers flaring, underdogs biting back, and favorites digging deep, the stage is set for a thrilling showdown in the next round. The question is: who will rise to the occasion and who will falter under the pressure? Stay tuned.
Results: Boys Team Events:
(Round 1&2):
Group A: West Bengal bt Uttar Pradesh 3-0; West Bengal bt Goa 3-0.
Group B: Tamil Nadu bt Manipur 3-0; Kerala bt Meghalaya 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Kerala 3-0; Manipur bt Meghalaya 3-0.
Group C: Maharashtra bt Uttarakhand 3-0; Punjab bt TTFI-1 3-0; Maharashtra bt Punjab 3-0; Uttarakhand bt TTFI-2 3-0.
Group D: Assam bt Bihar 3-0; Telangana bt Jharkhand 3-0; Assam bt Telangana 3-1; Bihar bt Jharkhand 3-0.
Group E: Delhi bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0; TTFI-1 bt Odisha 3-2; Delhi bt TTFI-1 3-1; Andhra Pradesh bt Odisha 3-0.
Group F: PSPBA bt Chandigarh 3-2; Himachal Pradesh bt Jammu and Kashmir 3-1; PSPBA bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0; Chandigarh bt Jammu and Kashmir 3-2.
Group G: Haryana bt Madhya Pradesh 3-1; Gujarat bt Pondicherry 3-0; Haryana bt Gujarat 3-2; Madhya Pradesh bt Pondicherry 3-1.
Group H: NCOE bt Chhattisgarh 3-0; Karnataka bt Daman & Diu 3-0; NCOE bt Karnataka 3-0; Chhattisgarh bt Daman & Diu 3-0.
