Indore, September 7: The Junior Boys team of India A posted two wins in Group 3 against Iran and India D to enter Stage 2 of the ITTF 2016 India Junior and Cadet Open Table Tennis Championships at the Abhay Prashal here today.

The top-seeded team beat Iran 3-0 and then accounted for India D 3-2 in a tough battle to emerge on top of the group. The other team from the group to qualify could be either Iran or India D, who have a win each against Bhutan, when they meet each other.

As for group 1 and 2, India B and Chinese Taipei are sitting pretty with a win each in the respective group, and the most likely teams to make the Stage 2 cut. India B team, which had beaten Indonesia-Bhutan combined team 3-0, has a match against India E and all indications suggest their passage. Similarly, Taipei beat India F 3-0 and should beat India C to take the top spot in their group.

With the format allowing passage of top two teams in each group, only the second spot become a little difficult for really weaker teams.

In Junior Girls, second-seeded Chinese Taipei qualified for the main draw with easy wins over India E (3-1) and India F (3-0) while their match against India A will decide who tops group 1 as the latter has two matches in hand, against Taipei a well as India E.

As for Cadet section matches, top-seed Chinese Taipei boys downed both India C 3-0 and India E 3-1 to top group 1 while it was India A boys who posted two straight wins over their B and D teams to take the top perch in group 2.

In Cadet Girls, Taipei’s B team qualified for the second stage in group 1 beating India B 3and India E with a 3-0 verdict to stamp their superiority, the proof of which came when the South Asian country’s A team in the other group, too, booked its place in the main draw. Their A team defeated India A 3-0 rather easily but struggled against India C before overcoming it 3-2.

The real contest in this group should be between India A & India C—both had beaten India D convincingly—and it is their match that will decide who qualifies for the next stage.

The main draw matches scheduled on the second day, the medal winners in team events will be known tomorrow.

Results: Team Even (1st Stage):

Junior Boys: Group 1: India A beat Mixed team 3-0, India A beat India E 3-0; Group 2: Chinese Taipei lost to India C 1-3, India C beat Chinese Taipei 3-1, Chinese Taipei beat India F 3-0.

Junior Girls: Group 1: Chinese Taipei A beat India F 3-0, India D beat India B 3-2, Chinese Taipei A beat India E 3-1, India A beat India F 3-2; Group 2: Chinese Taipei B beat India D 3-0,  India C beat India B 3-0, Chinese Taipei B beat India C 3-2.

Cadet Boys: Group 1: Chinese Taipei beat India C 3-0, Chinese Taipei beat India E 3-0; Group 2: India A beat India D 3-0, India B beat India A.

Cadet Girls: Group 1: India B beat Chinese Taipei B 3-0, Chinese Taipei B beat India E 3-0; Group 2: Chinese Taipei A beat India A 3-0, India A beat India D 3-0, Chinese Taipei beat India C -3-0.