Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 14: Jammu and Kashmir’s Ritvik Gupta fought valiantly but fell short as Odisha’s Sarthak Arya clinched the U-17 Youth Boys title for the second consecutive year at the 4th UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships, held at the Tau Devi Lal Multipurpose Indoor Stadium, Panchkula, Haryana. The final was a thrilling encounter, with Sarthak overcoming Ritvik by 3-2 (11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 12-10).
Ritvik, representing J&K, had looked strong in the first three games but Sarthak turned the match in the fourth, displaying nerves of steel in the deciding game to secure back-to-back crowns. Ritvik’s performance was widely applauded for his composure under pressure and aggressive play, making the final one of the most exciting in the tournament.
In the semifinals, Ritvik defeated PSPBA’s Sahil Rawat 11-7, 11-8, 7-11, 11-8, while Sarthak overcame West Bengal’s Rupam Sardar by 12-14, 11-6, 11-8, 11-5. Both players had earlier displayed grit in the quarterfinals, with Ritvik dominating Dhairya Rawat (PSPBA) and Sarthak staging a remarkable comeback from 0-2 down against Karnataka’s Atharva Nawarange.
In the U-17 Youth Girls category, Bengal’s Ankolika Chakraborty emerged victorious, defeating Maharashtra’s Kavya Bhatt by 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 13-11). Ankolika showcased consistent composure and skill throughout her matches, including a 3-0 semifinal win over Syndrela Das (WB). Kavya Bhatt also impressed with her performances, reaching the final after overcoming Ikshika Umate (Maharashtra).
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