Table Tennis
Ankur-Abhinandh win U19 boys' doubles title at WTT Youth Star Contender Bangkok
India won a total of four medals, including a gold at the 2025 WTT Youth Contender in Bangkok.
Ankur and Abhinandh clinch the U-19 boy's title. (Photo Credit: WTT)
Indian table tennis players Ankur Bhattacharjee and Abhinandh Pradhavadhi claimed the U-19 boys doubles title at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Bangkok on Sunday.
The Indian pair defeated the Korean duo of Lee Jungmok and Choi Jiwook 3-1 (11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7) in a match lasting just over 30 minutes.
The path to victory was challenging for the Indian pair. They started their campaign with a 3-1 win over Won Bae of Australia and fellow Indian Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (4-11, 11-8, 11-9, 11-6).
In the quarter-finals, they staged a remarkable comeback against Japan's Kazuki Yoshiyama and Iran's Benyamin Faraji, recovering from a 0-2 deficit to win 3-2 (8-11, 11-13, 14-12, 11-7, 11-4) in under 40 minutes.
In singles play, Ankur Bhattacharjee had a strong start in the U-19 boys' category, defeating Korea's Lee Seungsoo 3-0 (11-8, 12-10, 11-4) in the first round before falling to Japan's Kazuki Yoshiyama 0-3 (8-11, 9-11, 9-11) in the quarter-finals.
The Indian contingent also saw success in the U-19 girls doubles category where Syndrela Das and Divyanshi Bhowmick reached the final.
The pair began with a convincing 3-0 win (11-6, 11-8, 11-8) against Nguyen Le and Kheith Cruz. They then upset the Chinese duo of Ding Yijie and Hu Yi 3-1 (8-11, 11-7, 11-4, 11-4) in the quarter-finals.
Their semi-final match was a testament to their fighting spirit as they came back from 0-2 down to beat Korea's Yoo Yerin and Choi Nahyun 3-2 (4-11, 8-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-9).
However, they fell short in the final against Thailand's Wirakarn Tayapitak and Phatsaraphon Wonglakhon, losing 1-3 (7-11, 15-13, 1-11, 10-12).
In the U-15 girls singles, Divyanshi Bhowmick put on an impressive performance, reaching the final.
She defeated Hong Kong's Zhang Jia Yu 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-8) in the first round, followed by a 3-1 win over Japan's Miku Matsushima (11-1, 8-11, 11-7, 11-4) in the quarter-finals.
She continued her winning streak in the semi-finals, beating China's Zhu Qihui 3-1 (11-4, 11-7, 7-11, 11-7), before losing to Liu Ziling 1-3 (6-11, 11-7, 7-11, 7-11) in the final.
Another second finish came from the U-15 girls doubles pair of Riana Bhoota and Ananya Muralidharan.
They dominated their first match against Thailand's Panita Vijittham and Thunyatorn Meekaew, winning 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 12-10).
In the semi-finals, they overcame Hong Kong's Fong Tsz Kiu and Yeung Yee Lam 3-2 (5-11, 13-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8) before losing a hard-fought final to China's Zhao Wangqi and Liu Ziling 2-3 (11-8, 14-12, 8-11, 3-11, 8-11).
In the U-19 mixed doubles, Abhinandh Pradavadhi and Taneesha Kotecha won their first-round match against Singapore's Yang Ze Yie and Lai Chloe 3-1 (10-12, 11-5, 11-2, 11-7) but lost a close quarter-final to China's Wang Zining and Yang Huize 2-3 (5-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-14).
Podium Finishes for Indian Players at WTT Youth Star Contender Bangkok
Gold: Ankur Bhattacharjee/Abhinandh Pradhavadhi (U-19 Boys Doubles)
Silver: Syndrela Das/Divyanshi Bhowmick (U-19 Girls Doubles)
Silver: Divyanshi Bhowmick (U-15 Girls Singles)
Silver: Riana Bhoota/Ananya Muralidharan (U-15 Girls Doubles)
