Published: April 10, 2026 at 10:25 pm
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 in Shimla 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.
Indian junior paddlers bag triple gold, Bangla win U-19 boys top honours at Asian Youth TT
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) beat Nafiz Iqbal (Ban) 1-6, 11-6, 11-6; Priyanuj beat Awn Ibrahim (Mdv) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7; Nafiz beat Aawn 11-3, 11-7, 11-7.
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Punit Biswas (Ind) beat Akain Viyanduwa (Sri) 11-7, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7; Punit beat Erish Shakya (Nep) 11-9, 11-0, 11-5; Akain beat Erish 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-5.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Himal Bista (Nep)beat Abul Hasib (Ban) 10-12, 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-9, Raifu Mohammed (Mdv) beat Hareen Munasingha (Sri) 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 7-11, 11-9; Himal beat Raifu 11-6, 11-4, 11-2; Abul beat Hareen 13-11, 11-7, 11-5; Hareen beat Himal 12-10, 10-12, 11-8, 6-11, 11-6, Abul beat Rafiu 11-9, 11-7, 11-9.
Under 15 Boys: Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Aditya Das (Ind) beat Faaz Latheef (Mdv) 11-5, 11-5, 11-7; Aditya beat Yenul Abeywickrama (Sri) 11-6, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8; Yenul beat Faaz 12-10, 11-5, 11-8
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Akshay Kirikara (Ind) beat Nischala Thapa (Nep0 11-5, 11-3, 11-2; Akshay beat Midul Mohammed (Ban) 11-3, 11-8, 11-5.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Shahin Mohammed (Ban) beat Raifu Mohammed (Mdv) 15-13, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, Sanon Menuwelge (Sri0 beat Reevana Bajracharya (Nep) 11-9, 11-8, 10-12, 11-9; Sanon beat Raifu 5-11, 11-9, 12-10, 10-12, 12-10, Reevan beat Shahin 12-10, 6-11, 11-4, 11-6.
Under 19 Girls: Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Jennifer Vaarghese (Ind) beat Binaca Raia (Nep) 11-6, 11-9, 11-5; Jennifer beat Kavindya Alagiyawadu (Sri) 12-10, 11-5, 11-5.
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Ananya Muralidharan (Ind) beat Mishka Ibrahim 11-7, 11-6, 11-1; Ananya beat Khoy Sai (Ban) 11-3, 11-4, 13-11; Khoy beat Mishka 9-11, 12-10, 22-20, 11-7, 11-9.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Shamalsha Halawathage (Sri) beat Fathimath Ali (Mdv) 11-8, 11-8, 11-9, Evana Thapa (Nep) beat Resmi Tanchangya (Ban) 6-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-5; Fathimath beat Evana 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, Shamalsha beat Resmi 11-7, 11-8, 11-6; Fathimath beat Resmi 11-3, 11-8, 11-4, Shamalsha beat Evana 6-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.
Under 15 Girls: Group 1: Round 1,2 & 3: Ankolika Chakraborty (Ind) beat Thaseen Aishath (Mdv) 11-3, 11-6, 11-3; Ankolika beat Muthuli Welathanthrige (Sri) 11-4, 11-1, 11-5; Muthuli beat Thaseen 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-7.
Group 2: Round 1,2 & 3: Ahona Ray (Ind) beat Rafia Chowdhury (Ban) 11-4, 11-7, 11-2; Ahona beat Suramya Shakya (Nep) 11-6, 11-6, 11-2; Suramya beat Rafia 11-5, 11-5, 6-11, 11-9.
Group 3: Round 1,2 & 3: Nafiz Aishath (Mdv) beat Roza Izlam (Ban) 11-7, 11-9, 8-11, 8-11, 11-6, Chanuki Kariyawasam (Sri) beat Arsana Maharjan (Nep) 11-6, 7-11, 11-5, 11-6; Chanuki beat Nafiz 11-8, 11-6, 10-12, 11-4, Arsana beat Roza 9-11, 11-8, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6; Nafiz beat Arsana 1-11, 11-0, 11-8, 11-5, Chanuki beat Roza 11-6, 11-3, 11-7.
