Rajgir: Assam’s Priyanuj Bhattacharyya stunned top-seeded P.B. Abhinand of Tamil Nadu 4-1 to clinch the gold in the Under-18 Boys’ Singles final at the Khelo India Youth Games (KIYG) table tennis event. Earlier, Maharashtra’s Kavya Bhatta also struck gold, overcoming Tamil Nadu’s M. Hansini by an identical margin at Hall No. 1, as the table tennis at the events drew to a close today.
Abhinand’s struggle was difficult to watch as he failed to contain a relentless and confident Priyanuj, who found his rhythm after dropping the opening game. The Assam lad read the pace superbly, seizing every opening to launch incisive attacks and catching the usually composed and clinical Abhinand off guard. Unable to recover from the early setback, the Tamil Nadu paddler had to settle for silver, just like his statemate, Hansini.
It was sweet revenge for Kavya, who turned the tables on Hansini in the final, avenging her title loss in the U-19 National Youth Championship at Vadodara a few months ago. The left-handed paddler from Maharashtra found her rhythm early, despite a topsy-turvy opening game. Kavya had multiple game points but couldn’t convert, conceding the tight opener.
However, that setback seemed to ignite a spark. From the second game onwards, Kavya unleashed an aggressive, relentless attack that the reigning national youth champion struggled to contain. Hansini, despite her best efforts, lacked a clear strategy to counter Kavya’s pace and variation.
Though she pushed the fourth game to a tense 9-9, continuous unforced errors at crucial moments cost Hansini dearly. By the fifth game, the writing was on the wall, and Kavya sealed the title without much resistance. The Tamil Nadu paddler had to settle for silver on a day when Kavya’s determination and attacking flair proved too good to handle.
In the bronze medal playoffs, Tamil Nadu’s M.R. Balamurugan and Maharashtra’s Divyanshi Bhowmick staged commendable comebacks to leave the Games with a medal around their necks. Their perseverance was finally rewarded, restoring pride and reaffirming their standing on the big stage.
Balamurugan, showing renewed tactical discipline, outsmarted Maharashtra’s Kushal Chopda, a tough opponent. By smartly varying the pace of his serves and returns, Balamurugan disrupted Kushal’s rhythm. The Maharashtra player, who thrives on fast, flat exchanges, struggled to adapt to the changing tempo, ultimately unravelling under pressure.
In the women’s playoff, Divyanshi overcame a jittery start to edge past her statemate, Sukrati Sharma, 12-10 in a tense opening game. That narrow win proved decisive, as it ignited Divyanshi’s confidence. From there, she shifted gears, clinically dismantling Sukrati’s challenge in the subsequent games. Sukrati never recovered from the opening setback, her resistance fading as Divyanshi powered through to claim the bronze.
Results:
Youth Boys Singles: Final: Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) bt P.B. Abhinand (TN) 4-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-7, 11-7, 11-6).
Bronze Playoff: M.R. Balamurugan (TN) bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 11-8, 11-5, 11-8.
Youth Girls Singles: Final: Kavya Bhatt (Mah) bt M. Hansini 4-1 (12-14, 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, 11-1).
Bronze Playoff: Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) bt Sukrati Sharma (Mah) 12-10, 11-4, 11-6.
