In a thrilling Youth BoysUnder-11 final at the UTT National Ranking Championships held at the RainbowKhelo India Residential Academy here today, Gem Mahalanabish of West Bengalemerged victorious with a 3-2 win over his fellow state rival, Ariv Dutta.
Despite a rocky start,including a tough first game, Gem rallied to clinch the final two games,securing his maiden title in this category. Although Ariv was the favouredcompetitor, Gem’s strategic play in the first and final games proved decisive.
In the Youth GirlsUnder-11 final, Assam’s Divija Paul delivered a dominant performance, defeatingWest Bengal’s Akshita Mahato 3-0. Despite Akshita’s earlier strong showings,Divija’s superior play ensured a one-sided final.
The semifinals were lessdramatic compared to the quarterfinals. Ariv Dutta defeated Subham Adhikari instraight games, and Gem Mahalanabish also dispatched Dhrubanko Ghosh with asimilar scoreline. However, Dhrubanko made a strong effort, especially in thesecond game, which Gem clinched on his third game point.
In the quarterfinals,Shubham Adhikari faced a tough challenge from Rajasthan’s top player, takingthe match to the decisive fifth game before emerging triumphant. DhrubankoGhosh also overcame Rajasthan’s Ishaan Goyal after trailing 1-2, eventuallyprevailing in the fifth game.
Divija Paul showcased herprowess in the Youth Girls category by overcoming Uttarakhand’s Khyati Pande3-1 in the semifinals. Despite a challenging quarterfinal match where Divijahad to rally from behind, she secured victory with crucial late-game points.
Akshita Mahato, initiallyleading 2-0 in her semifinal against Haryana’s Avni Janghu, allowed heropponent to level the match before clinching the decisive fifth game with anearly lead. Avni had earlier impressed with strong performances against PehelGupta of UP and Avyanna Phalaswal, but Akshita’s resilience proved too much.
The finals highlighted theemerging talents in the youth divisions, with dramatic comebacks and impressiveperformances setting the stage for future competitions.
The Results:
Youth Under-11 Boys:Final: Gem Mahalanabish (WB) bt Ariv Dutta (WB) 15-13, 7-11, 5-11, 11-7, 12-10.Semifinals: Ariv Dutta bt Subham Adhikari (WB) 11-1, 11-9, 11-4; GemMahalanabish bt Dhrubanko Ghosh (WB) 11-7, 14-12, 11-5. Quarterfinals: ArivDutta bt H. Tanish (TN) 11-5, 11-6, 11-2; Shubham Adhikari bt Daksh Soni (TTFI1) 11-9, 11-4, 10-12, 10-12, 11-5; Gem Mahalanabish bt Satvik Sharma (Pun)11-3, 11-4, 11-8; Dhrubanko Ghosh bt Ishaan Goyal (TTFI 1) 11-3, 7-11, 5-11,13-11, 11-4.
Youth Under-11 Girls:Final: Divija Paul (ASM) bt Akshita Mahato (WB) 11-6, 11-4, 11-4. Semifinals:Divija Paul bt Khyati Pande (UKD) 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-5; Akshita Mahato btAvni Janghu (HRN) 11-6, 11-8, 3-11, 7-11, 11-6.
Quarterfinals: Divija Paulbt Aarna Sahney 12-10, 12-10, 11-6; Khyati Pande bt Grace Sukhija (Del) 11-8,11-9, 13-11; Avni Janghu bt Pehel Gupta (UP) 11-6, 8-11, 11-7, 11-1; AkshitaMahato bt Avyanna Phalaswal (Har) 11-8, 11-9, 5-11, 11-13, 11-7.
=====