Riding high on their golden sweep in the team events, India's young paddlers carried their imperious form into the singles competitions, storming into the quarterfinals across Under-19 and Under-15 categories at the ITTF-ATTU Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, underway at the Indira Gandhi Rajya Khel Parisar here on Friday.
However, across categories, India's higher-ranked players were rewarded with first-round byes, ensuring direct entry into the semifinals on Saturday. With the two-player-per-nation cap in singles, the hosts made full use of their opportunities, asserting near-total control of the draws.
India’s dominance was emphatic. In the Under-19 Boys, Priyanuj Bhattacharjee and Punit Biswas topped their respective groups in commanding fashion, both maintaining unbeaten records. Bhattacharjee was flawless throughout, while Biswas, after conceding a lone game to Sri Lanka's Akain Viyanduwa despite leading 2-0, quickly reasserted control with a clinical 3-0 victory over Nepal's Erish Shakya.
The Indian girls were no less dominant. Jennifer Varghese and Ananya Muralidharan cruised through the Under-19 Girls' groups without dropping a single game, outclassing their opponents with effortless 3-0 wins to underline their title credentials.
In the Under-15 Boys section, Aditya Das and Akshay Kirikara advanced to the quarterfinals with similar authority. Das dropped just one game in his campaign—against Sri Lanka's Yenul Abeywickrama—but remained firmly in control otherwise. Kirikara, the left-hander, was in scintillating touch, dispatching Bangladesh's Midul Mohammad and Nepal's Nischal Thapa with identical straight-game victories.
The Under-15 Girls' contingent continued the clean sweep, with Ankolika Chakraborty and Ahona Ray mirroring their senior counterparts by topping their groups and progressing to the knockout stage without fuss.
Meanwhile, the doubles events commenced from the quarterfinal stage, with one pair per nation in contention. The race for medals intensifies on the concluding day tomorrow, where India will look to convert its dominance into a rich haul of titles.
Results Singles:
Under 19 Boys:
Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Priyanuj Bhattacharjee (Ind)bt Nafiz Iqbal (Ban) 1-6, 11-6, 11-6; Priyanuj bt Awn Ibrahim (Mdv) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7; Nafiz bt Aawn 11-3, 11-7, 11-7.
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Punit Biswas (Ind) bt Akain Viyanduwa (Sri) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7; Punit bt Erish Shakya (Nep) 11-9, 11-0, 11-5; Akain bt Erish 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Himal Bista (Nep)bt Abul Hasib (Ban) 10-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, Raifu Mohammed (Mdv) bt Hareen Munasingha (Sri) 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9; Himal bt Raifu 11-6, 11-4, 11-2; Abul bt Hareen 13-11, 11-7, 11-5; Hareen bt Himal 12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, Abul bt Rafiu 11-9, 11-7, 11-9.
Under 15 Boys:
Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Aditya Das (Ind) bt Faaz Latheef (Mdv) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7; Aditya bt Yenul Abeywickrama (Sri) 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8; Yenul bt Faaz 12-10, 11-5, 11-8
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Akshay Kirikara (Ind) bt Nischala Thapa (Nep0 11-5, 11-3, 11-2; Akshay bt Midul Mohammed (Ban) 11-3, 11-8, 11-5;
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Shahin Mohammed (Ban) bt Raifu Mohammed (Mdv) 15-13, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, Sanon Menuwelge (Sri0 bt Reevana Bajracharya (Nep) 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9; Sanon bt Raifu 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10, Reevan bt Shahin 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6;
Under 19 Girls:
Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Jennifer Vaarghese (Ind) bt Binaca Raia (Nep) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5; Jennifer bt Kavindya Alagiyawadu (Sri) 12-10, 11-5, 11-5;
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Ananya Muralidharan (Ind) bt Mishka Ibrahim 11-7, 11-6, 11-1; Ananya bt Khoy Sai (Ban) 11-3, 11-4, 13-11; Khoy bt Mishka 9-11, 12-10, 22-20, 11-7, 11-9.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Shamalsha Halawathage (Sri) bt Fathimath Ali (Mdv) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, Evana Thapa (Nep) bt Resmi Tanchangya (Ban) 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5; Fathimath bt Evana 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, Shamalsha bt Resmi 11-7, 11-8, 11-6; Fathimath bt Resmi 11-3, 11-8, 11-4, Shamalsha bt Evana 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
Under 15 Girls:
Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Ankolika Chakraborty (Ind) bt Thaseen Aishath (Mdv) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3; Ankolika bt Muthuli Welathanthrige (Sri) 11-4, 11-1, 11-5; Muthuli bt Thaseen 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7;
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Ahona Ray (Ind) bt Rafia Chowdhury (Ban) 11-4, 11-7, 11-2; Ahona bt Suramya Shakya (Nep) 11-6, 11-6, 11-2; Suramya bt Rafia 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9;
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Nafiz Aishath (Mdv) bt Roza Izlam (Ban) 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, Chanuki Kariyawasam (Sri) bt Arsana Maharjan (Nep) 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6; Chanuki bt Nafiz 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4, Arsana bt Roza 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6; Nafiz bt Arsana 1-11, 11-0, 11-8, 11-5, Chanuki bt Roza 11-6, 11-3, 11-7