Panchkula: The fourth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships opened on a lively note at the Tau Devi Lal Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, with the U-11 qualifiers setting the tone for a competitive week ahead. Day one belonged to the youngest paddlers, who displayed fearlessness and stamina in a string of hard-fought, five-game battles—and hosts Haryana had every reason to be encouraged by the intensity and promise shown by their emerging talent.
Haryana’s youngsters made their presence felt across rounds, staying composed in tight situations and earning nods from the local crowd for their grit. One of the most gripping contests saw an all-Haryana clash, where Keshav Raghunath Vasudev edged Advik Jain (TTFI-1) 11-5, 6-11, 8-11, 11-8, 11-8. The momentum shifted several times before Keshava steadied himself late, reflecting the steady development and depth being cultivated in the state’s youth training system.
On the girls’ side, Mahi Kumari held firm in a tense finish to overcome West Bengal's Debopriya Karmakar, scoring an 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8 win marked by controlled aggression and disciplined serving. Soon after, Phalgun Gupta produced another statement performance for the hosts by rallying from behind to defeat Aaditri of West Bengal 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8. Haryana’s Mihika Gupta fought bravely too, coming back from two games down before narrowly falling 6-11, 4-11, 11-13, 11-6, 10-12 to Gujarat’s Yaana Singh in one of the day’s tightest matches.
Elsewhere, the qualifiers saw several edge-of-the-seat finishes as young players battled through all three rounds. Tamil Nadu’s S. Nithin Kanna showed grit against West Bengal’s Trishanjit Ghosh, rallying for a 7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 9-11, 11-6 victory. Telangana’s Vihaan Mudumbai delivered one of the most dramatic turnarounds, recovering from two narrow opening-game losses to beat Lakshveer Sharma 13-15, 13-15, 11-8, 12-10, 11-3, while Delhi’s Ayaan Malhan displayed poise in a high-tempo duel against Punjab’s Aditya Singhania, clinching it 5-11, 11-8, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5.
With seven boys and four girls from Haryana having advanced into the main draw, the hosts concluded the opening day on a strong footing, bolstered by a combination of spirited play, improving technical ability, and composure on the big stage. For many Haryana paddlers, these early victories doubled as confidence-building experiences in front of home fans — and their ability to fight through tough score lines underscored a bright future.
Important Results (All Rounds):
Youth Boys U-11: S. Nithin Kanna (TN) bt Trishanjit Ghosh (WB) 7-11, 11-3, 11-8, 9-11,11-6; Keshava bt. Vasudev (Har) bt Advik Jain (TTFI-1) 11-5, 6-11, 8-11,11-8, 11-8; Trishanjit Ghosh (WB) bt Sankhala R. Singh (TTFI-2) 8-11, 11-2, 11-4, 9-11, 11-5; Ayaan Malhan (Del) bt Aditya Singhania (Pun) 5-11, 11-8, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5; Vihaan Mudumbai (Telg) bt Lakshveer Sharma (TTFI_1) 13-15, 13-15, 11-8, 12-10, 11-3; Divit Bansal (Chd) bt Rigved Saha (WB) 9-11, 12-14, 11-5, 13-11, 11-7.
Youth Girls U-11: Anusriti Sarkar (WB) bt Myra Kheskani (Guj) 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-8; Rupkatha Das (WB) bt Adhira Chetan (Telg) 11-3, 13-15, 11-8, 12-14, 11-6; Khushi Bagel (MP) bt Privya Barua (Del) 11-9, 4-11, 11-9, 6-11, 11-8; Mahi Kumari (Har) bt Debopriya Karmakar (WB) 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 13-11, 11-8; Kaushiki (TTFI-2)bt Yashashree Sil (Telg) 13-11, 4-11, 5-11, 11-6, 11-6; Phalgun Gupta (Har) nt Aaditri (WB) 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 11-8; Idhika Bansal (Chd) bt Indira Sarkar (WB) 9-11, 11-13, 11-8, 11-6, 11-7; Yaana Singh (Guj) bt Mihika Gupta (Har) 11-6, 11-4, 11-13, 6-11, 10-12; Oishikta Das (WB) bt Ikaara Sreeram (del0 11-2, 11-13, 13-11, 6-11, 11-6; Srinika Chakladar (WB)bt Akshita Kashyap (Del) 8-11, 11-6, 11-6, 6-11, 11-9; Sharanya Patwardhan (Mah0 bt Mihika Mahajan (Chd) 10-12, 11-4, 11-5, 9-11, 11-7.
