SILIGURI, January 8: THEY have risen from the sub-junior rung and know each other too well, personally. They also know one another’s game. After all, they have been travelling and playing together both in India and abroad. But when they run into each other in a final where the stakes are high-big money and ranking points-nobody would wants to give it up easily.

Yet the youth boys’ final turned out to be a tame affair with Soumyajit Ghosh overhauling his PSPB mate G. Sathiyan 4-1 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9). Sathiyan saved five match points in a row but with Soumyajit’s serve on, Sathiyan returned wide and Smoumyajit kneeled down in celebration. Sathiyan could not retain the title he won last year.

With the crowd, understandably, rooting for Soumyajit, Sathiyan was rendered clueless. His attacking posture also did not pay dividends as Soumyajit was returning well. Satiyan did slow down indulging in jabs but his PSPB mate was up to the task whenever an occasion arose. And Sathiyan did seem to make a semblance of recovery in the fifth game with his booming shots helping him. But then it was too late too little for the birthday boy.

Earlier, after winning the semifinal against North Bengal’s Raj Mondal, Sathiyan did say about having to tread a cautious path against Soumyajit. “I know the crowd support will be for Soumyajit, but I will have to just forget that and play,” he said. But it was not to be and he had to be content with the silver medal.

The youth girls’ final between No. 1 Ankita Das and No. 6 Pooja Sahasrabudhe raised a new level with both not willing to yield even an inch. In the end Ankita, after several anxious moments throughout the game, won 4-3. She trailed Pooja 0-2 before taking the next three games on the trot. With Pooja level at 3-3 in the sixth game, the decider became more interesting as the match lasted nearly one and a half hours. 

TTFI President Ajay Singh Chautala and North Bengal Development Minister Gautam Deb presented the medals and gave away cash prizes to the winners.