Greater Noida, October 29: Four team finals and four gold medals, it was India everywhere in the 2017 ITTF World Junior Circuit India Junior and Cadet Open (Premium), held at the Gautam Buddha University Hall here today.

In the 13-team event, India’s domination of medal sweep was almost complete as they added three silver medals while parting with South Korea just one in the Cadet Girls category. In addition, the hosts also picked up six bronze medals, leaving South Korea and the mixed team of Thailand and Singapore share a bronze each.

The Cadet Girls final was where the Indian harvest of gold medals could have been stopped. But the South Korean team, especially their No. 1 player Lee Dagyeong, did everything she could but achieve the end-result as India A won 3-2 in a tight match in which doubles rubber made all the difference between winning gold or ending up with the silver.

After their loss to Lee, the Indians had to target Heo Ye Eun, Korea’s second player, to set the tone for a golden sweep. Anusha Kutumbale levelled the score when she won her singles against Heo but Lee downed in her straight games to restore parity. However, Munmun Kundu defeated Heo 3-1 in reverse singles to settle the issue. In between, Anusha and Munmun had combined so well for what was the ultimate clincher.

The India A combination of Payas Jain-H. Jeho-Chinmaya Somaiya proved too lethal for India B’s Jayabrata Bhattacharjee, Dev Shroff and Hrishkesh Malhotra—the last named was benched—in the Cadet Boys final. Deservingly, the A team defeated the B squad 3-0 to win gold.  

The Junior Girls final went down to the wire when Yashini Sivasankar beat Archana Kamath in the fourth rubber but Moumita Dutta pulled it off in the decider against Srushti Haleangadi to launch India A on top of the podium with a 3-2 verdict. Yashini, who was instrumental in defeating India A in group match yesterday, yet again played a major role and won both her singles—first against Moumita and in the reverse against Archana. But the Archana-Moumita duo won the crucial doubles which paved the way for their triumph.

In comparison, the Junior Boys final’s result went along the expected line when India A, helped by Manav Thakkar’s more than substantial contribution, beat India B 3-1—the only win for them coming in the first rubber when Snehit Suravajjula blanked out Jeet Chandra. Like, Manav Snehit was the trump card for India B and he played his two singles as well as doubles in the company of Anukram Jain. But Manav thwarted all India B moves efficiently, winning his two singles and doubles with Manush Shah, to claim gold.

Results:

Cadet Girls: Final: India A bt South Korea 3-2 (Munmun Kundu lost to Lee Dagyeong 7-11, 10-12, 5-11, Ansusha Kutumbale bt Heo Ye Eun 11-8, 11-9, 12-10, Anusha-Mummun bt Lee-Heo 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, Anusha Kutumbale lost to Lee Dagyeong 9-11, 6-11, 4-11, Mummun Kundu bt Heo Ye Eun 11-9, 11-6, 6-11, 11-5).

Semifinals: South Korea bt India C 3-1 (Lee Dagyeong bt Vanshika Bhargava 11-4, 14-12, 11-6, Heo Ye Eun lost to Trisha Gogoi 7-11, 8-11, 9-11, Lee-Heo bt Suhana Saini-Trisha 12-10, 11-5, 11-9, Lee Dagyeong bt Trisha Gogoi 11-3, 3-11, 11-9, 12-10); India A bt India D 3-1 (Ausha Kutumbale lost to Kavyashree Baskar 10-12, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4, 7-11, Mummun Kundu bt Rdhapriya Goel 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, Anusha-Mummun bt Kavyashree-Radhapriya 11-8, 11-5, 11-6, Anusha Kutumbale bt Radhapriya Goel 7-11, 11-4, 8-11, 11-2, 11-8).

Cadet Boys: Final: India A bt India B 3-0 (H. Jeho bt Jayabrata Bhattacharee 13-11, 11-8, 12-10, Payas Jain bt Dev Shroff 11-7, 11-9, 13-11, Payas-Chinmaya Somaiya bt Jayabrata-Dev 11-3, 11-9, 12-10).

Semifinals: India A bt India D 3-1 (Payas Jain bt Vishwa Deenadayalan 9-11, 11-4, 5-11, 12-10, 11-6, Chinmaya Somaiya lost to Yashansh Malik 11-13, 4-11, 11-6, 6-11, Payas-Chinmaya bt Yashansh-Agniv Bhaskar 11-9, 11-7, 11-8, Payas Jain bt Yashansh Malik 11-5, 11-3, 7-11, 11-8); India B bt India C 3-1 (Dev Shroof bt Lalremruata Alberto 13-11, 11-8, 11-9, Jayabrata Bhttacharjee bt Arush Dutt 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-6, Dev-Jayabrata lost to Alberto-Arush 11-6, 9-11, 5-11, 8-11, Dev Shroof bt Arush Dutt 6-11, 11-5, 12-10, 11-6).

Junior Girls: Final: India A bt India B 3-2 (Moumita Dutta bt Yashini Sivasankar 11-13, 4-11, 8-11, Archana Kamath bt Srushti Haleangadi 11-4, 11-13, 11-4, 11-5, Moumita-Archana bt Srushti-Prapti Sen 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 12-10, Archana lost to Yashini 11-7, 6-11, 13-11, 8-11, 9-11, Moumita bt Srushti 11-7, 9-11, 11-9, 11-6).

Semifinals: India B bt India D 3-0 (Prapti Sen bt Surbhi Patwari 11-9, 10-12, 11-4, 11-9, Yashini Sivasankar bt Ishita Gupta 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, Prapti-Yashini bt Surbhi/Varuni Jaiswal 4-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6); India A bt Thailand-Singapore 3-0 (Archana Kamathbt Jinnipa Sawettabut 11-6, 6-11, 11-4, 13-11, Selenadeepthi Selvakumar bt Wanling Zhang 11-9, 11-6, 11-8, Archana-Moumita Dutta bt Jinnipa/Wanling 3-11, 11-8, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6).

Junior Boys: Final: India A bt India B 3-1 (Jeet Chandra lost to Snehit Suravajjula 8-11, 4-11, 3-11, Manav Thakkar bt Parth Virmani 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, Manav-Manush Shah bt Snehit-Anukram Jain 11-4, 11-2, 11-8, Manav Thakkar beat Snehit Suravajjula 11-8, 11-4, 11-8).

Semifinals: India A bt Thailand-Singapore 3-1 (Jeet Chandra lost to Yanapong Panagitgun 11-5, 7-11, 2-11, 11-6, 2-11, Manav Thakkar bt Yew En Koen Pang 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 11-7, Manav-Manush Shah bt Yanapong-Pang 7-11, 3-11, 17-15, 11-8, 11-4, Manav Thakkar bt Yanapong Panagitgun 11-8, 11-7, 11-2); India B bt India D 3-0 (Parth Virmani bt Hardik Khurana 9-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, Snehit Survajjula bt Soham Bhattacharya 11-9, 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, Anukram Jain-Snehit bt Soham-Kaushal Bhatt 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4).