Dehradun, December 7:  Young paddlers from West Bengal, Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Telangana seemed to hold sway in the top groups on Day 1 of the UTT National Ranking Championships at the newly-inaugurated Multipurpose Hall here today as the Youth Under-11 Boys and Girls events set the ball rolling.

Ankolika Chakraborty after winning her first group 1 match 11-5, 11-4, 11-4 against Tanisha Kolare of Maharashtra remained atop the ladder while No. 2 paddler in the group, Tavisha Kumar from Haryana also notched up her first triumph over the Maharashtra girl. The match between Ankolika and Tavisha later tonight will determine the group leader and the qualifier for the main draw.

But another Bengal player, Ahona Ray went past her Haryana rival Aadita Khanduja, winning 11-3, 11-2, 11-2, while the latter managed to post an 11-2, 11-5, 11-6 win over Andhra Pradesh’s Darshika Matta. But Ahona has a distinct advantage of passing the muster when she plays Matta in the third match of the group.

In other top group matches, the leaders kept their chances alive with one win and one loss. However, their fortunes can change with a win in the crucial last match.

Despite the event being held is for the first time, there are 83 boys and 82 girls participating in the Under-11 categories, the players having been divided into 28 groups each with three or four paddlers in early and latter groups.

In the Boys section, they are slated to play two rounds today with the third round scheduled for tomorrow. The Under-13 players will be engaged in action from tomorrow along with Under-15.

Earlier in the day, chief minister Pushkar Singh Dami inaugurated the Multipurpose Hall, throwing it open for the sportspersons of the state. In his address, he stressed that he would want the state authorities to put in efforts to produce players of calibre and that his government would extend all possible help.

Dedicating the Multipurpose Hall to the citizens of the state, especially those in the state capital, the chief minister said that he would want the players to bring laurels to the state with their performance in the Olympics and World Championships. “Our government will try to provide facilities to all those sportspersons to build a career in sports and carve out a niche for them.”

He also recalled the stellar performances of our Olympians and Paralympians who excelled in Tokyo with a record number of medals, including a track and field gold for the first time. “When Neeraj Chopra won the javelin gold, the entire nation erupted in celebration. This was an indication that we are on the right track.”

He also congratulated the Uttarakhand Table Tennis Association for creating opportunities for the state table tennis players by hosting the National Ranking event in Dehradun. He also wished all the participants and thanked their parents. “I am happy to see several parents accompanying the children and encouraging them. The future of India is in good hands,” he concluded.

Sports Minister Arvind Pandey, too, spoke about the sports policy of the state stating that the government was devising such policies that would bring about a marked change in the lives of sportspersons. “Our chief minister is very positive and wants our state players to do well at the national and international levels. We will endeavour to help them in whichever way possible. They are most welcome to approach our directorates and write to the sports ministry for any help,” said Pandey.