Ranchi, December 11: Odisha’s emerging talent, Sarthak Arya, once again displayed his grit and finesse, defeating West Bengal’s Rupam Sardar 3-1 to capture the Under-17 Boys’ title at the fifth UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships today at the Harivansh Tana Bhagat Indoor Stadium. This triumph adds yet another feather to Sarthak’s cap, following his earlier U-17 title victory this season at Panchkula.

In the Girls’ final, Syndrela Das produced a commanding performance, sweeping past Avisha Karmakar 3-0 in a one-sided affair that offered her opponent little chance to respond. For Avisha, it was her first final appearance in recent times, but she fell short of clinching the crown. For Syndrela, the victory was a fitting conclusion to the season—mirroring her title-winning start at Vadodara earlier in the year.

Sarthak took firm control early in the boys’ final, racing to a 2-0 lead before Rupam fought back to grab the third game. Rupam even came close to levelling the match, but after missing a few match points, Sarthak regained momentum and sealed the win to cap off a successful season with his second major U-17 national ranking title.

The road to the finals of the Boys and Girls categories turned into a thrilling test of nerves and skill as the semifinals delivered intense rallies, bold comebacks, and flashes of brilliance from some of the country’s brightest young paddlers. The Boys’ U-17 division saw a display of grit and composure as Sarthak and Rupam booked their places in the title clash after hard-fought semifinal victories.

Sarthak, who had already impressed with his quarterfinal 3-1 win over Tamil Nadu’s K. Akshay Bhushan, showed remarkable poise under pressure to overcome Atharva Nawarange of Karnataka. The match swung like a pendulum before Sarthak sealed the contest 3-1, surviving a tense fourth game where every point felt like a mini-battle.

On another table, Rupam showcased tactical brilliance to subdue PSBA’s Trishal Raj Kumar 3-1. After dropping the opening game, Rupam found his rhythm, using sharp angles and consistent forehands to dictate play.

Before that, one witnessed a gripping set of quarterfinals where endurance and mental strength defined the outcomes. Sarthak and Atharva both registered 3-1 wins over their respective rivals—Akshay Bhushan and Ronald Sarkar—while Rupam and Trishal had to dig deep in five-game thrillers to edge Sahil Rawat and Aditya Das, respectively.

In the Girls’ U-17 category, Syndrela and Avisha continued their dominant run, storming into the finals with confident wins in their semifinal clashes.

Syndrela looked sharp and assured in her 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5 victory over Tanishka Kalbhairav of Karnataka, the girl who won the Under-15 crown a day before. Though Tanishka clawed back a game, Syndrela’s precision on the returns and ability to control tempo proved decisive.

Avisha, meanwhile, combined aggression and finesse to outplay Divyanshi Bhowmick of Maharashtra 3-1. Her shot placement and consistency on the backhand flank made the difference as Avisha sealed her berth in the final in style.

Earlier, the quarterfinals had already hinted at their form. Syndrela breezed past Ikshika Umate of Maharashtra in a commanding straight-game win, while Tanishka, Avisha, and Divyanshi each posted strong 3-1 victories to advance.

Results:

Youth Boys U-17: Final: Sarthak Arya (Ods) bt Rupam Sardar (WB) 11-6, 11-7, 4-11, 14-12.

Semifinals: Sarthak bt Atharva Nawarange (Kar) 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, 14-12; Rupam bt Trishal Raj Kumar (PSPBA) 7-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-7.

Quarterfinals: Sarthak bt K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) 3-1; Atharva bt Ronald Sarkar (PSPBA) 3-1; Rupam bt Sahil Rawat (PSPBA) 3-2; Trishal bt Aditya Das (WB) 3-2.

Youth Girls U-17: Final: Syndrela Das (WB) bt Avisha Karmakar (WB) 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.

Semifinals: Syndrela bt Tanishka Kalbhairav (Kar) 11-6, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5; Avisha bt Divyanshi Bhowmick (Mah) 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 11-7.

Quarterfinals: Syndrela bt Ikshika Umate (Mah) 13-0; Tanishka bt Ankolika Chakraborty (WB) 3-1; Avisha bt Anwesha Das (WB) 3-0; Ddivyanshi bt Ahona Ray (WB) 3-1.