Indore, November 2: Riding the confidence from their strong semifinal showings, Odisha’s Sarthak Arya and Maharashtra’s Riana Bhoota rose to the occasion to secure their Under-17 Boys and Girls crowns at the third UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships at Abhay Prashal here today.

Arya, who had been in fine touch since the last four stages, carried that rhythm into the Youth Boys final, holding his nerve in a fluctuating contest against Jammu & Kashmir’s Ritvik Gupta. In a hard-fought five-game duel, Arya prevailed 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7, marking a significant milestone with his maiden gold medal at this level.

Similarly, left-hander Riana Bhoota—known for her ability to raise her level when the stakes are high—converted her semifinal momentum into a commanding performance in the Youth Girls final. Bhoota overpowered fellow Maharashtra paddler Naisha Rewaskar in straight games 11-5, 11-5, 11-9, preventing Rewaskar from adding a second title to her tally for the evening. Naisha had won her maiden U-15 Girls title, beating seasoned Ankolikha Chakraborty in the final.

The semifinal stage produced a series of gripping contests across categories, setting up high-stakes finals. In the U-17 Boys section, Sarthak recovered from a slow start against Shouren Soman, showing composure after dropping the opening game to turn the duel around with controlled aggression and steady rhythm. Ritvik, meanwhile, held firm under mid-match pressure from K. Akshay Bhushan of Tamil Nadu, regaining control after a tight second game to secure his spot in the title match with a confident finish.

The U-17 Girls semifinals proved even more dramatic, offering two roller-coaster five-game battles. Naisha and Ananya Muralidharan of Tamil Nadu traded momentum through nail-biting points, with Naisha holding her nerve in the deciding game. On the other side, Riana and Ikshika delivered another emotional showdown, each swinging between domination and recovery. Riana ultimately sealed the match in an intense final-game tussle, eking out a 13-11 victory to reach the summit clash.

In the U-15 boys division, resilience defined both semifinal victories. Rishaan staged a stirring comeback after falling two games behind against Vivan Dave of Gujarat, showing admirable fight and tactical patience to clinch the next three games, including a close 12-10 fourth-game escape. Akash also endured a seesaw duel with statemate Akshay Bhushan, trading blows in momentum-shifting games before closing out the decider with steady placements and fighting instincts.

The U-15 Girls semifinals featured contrasting paths to the final. Naisha earned her second final of the day with a strong response after dropping a close second game against Sreejani Chakraborty of West Bengal, tightening her control in the closing stages. Ankolika, also from Bengal, produced the most commanding display of the round, sweeping past Aarya Redkar of Maharashtra in straight games and looking sharp and decisive from start to finish.

RESULTS:

Youth Boys U-17: Final: Sarthak Arya (Ods) bt Ritvik Gupta (JK) 11-9, 8-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-7.

Semifinals: Sarthak bt Shouren Soman (Mah) 6-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8; Ritvik bt K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) 11-5, 10-12, 11-8, 11-2.

Youth Girls U-17: Final: Riana Bhoota (Mah) bt Naisha Rewaskar (Mah) 11-5, 11-5, 11-9.

Semifinals: Naisha bt Ananya Muralidharan (TN) 13-13, 9-11, 12-10, 9-11, 11-7; Riana bt Ikshika Umate (Mah) 11-8, 8-11, 11-4, 4-11, 13-11.

Youth Boys U-15: Final: Rishaan Chattopadhayay (WB) bt Akash Rajavelu (TN) 11-9, 7-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-3.

Semifinals: Rishaan bt Vivan Dave (Guj) 8-11, 7-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9; Akash bt K. Akshay Bhushan (TN) 12-10, 7-11, 11-8, 6-11, 11-8.

Youth Girls U-15: Final: Naisha Rewaskr (Mah) bt Ankolika Chakraborty (WB) 11-8, 11-6, 5-11, 11-7.

Semifinals: Naisha bt Sreejani Chakraborty (WB) 11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-9; Ankolika bt Aarya Redkar (PSPBA) 11-5, 11-8, 11-3.