New Delhi: India’s A team girls had to settle for silver at the Spanish Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis championships at Girona (Spain) after losing to Japan 0-3 while the boys failed to progress beyond the quarter-finals.
India A team, comprising Manika Batra, Reeth Tennison and Karnam Spoorthy, did exceedingly well in earlier rounds until they met the Japanese in final where it turned out to be a one-sided affair despite the Indian girls putting up a brave show.
Manika, who led the way throughout, lost to Shiho Matsudaira 17-15, 11-7, 11-5 in a hard-fought battle and Reeth lost to Yuki Shoji 3-11, 2-11, 7-11. In doubles both Manika and Reeth lost 7-11, 7-11, 6-11 to the Japanese pair of Miki Fujihara and Yuri Araki.
Earlier, the Indian girls had beaten Russia’s A team in the quarterfinals and their B team in the semifinals for a meeting with Japan. The Indian B team, comprising Narasimha Priya, Mallika Bhandarkar, could not cross the quarterfinal stage and bowed out to Hong Kong 1-3.
The boys’ A team with Abhishek Yadav and Sudanshu Grover reached the quarterfinals but went down tamely to Brazil A, who won 3-0. The B team of Birdie Boro, Utkarsh Gupa and Lalrin Paul bowed out in third round to Israel A. The latter won 3-0.
