Table Tennis | Tanishka, Prateek clinch U-15 titles in National Ranking tournament
Tanishka Kalbhairav and Prateek Tulsani secured the under-15 girls' and boys' titles at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis tournament. The event showcased emerging talent as players competed for top honors in the new season.
Why it matters
National ranking tournaments are essential for the development of young athletes and the growth of the sport in India.
Tanishka Kalbhairav of Karnataka and Maharashtra’s Prateek Tulsani began the new season on a winning note, claiming the under-15 girls’ and boys’ titles respectively at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis tournament at The Sportz Hub on Thursday.
In an entertaining final, 14-year-old Tanishka staged a spirited comeback against West Bengal’s Saturya Banerjee to prevail 9-11, 13-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-6. Trailing 1-2 and with Saturya’s backhand topspins initially proving too hot to handle, Tanishka found her range with a succession of forehand winners to pocket the winner’s purse of ₹22,400.
Prateek, having had a disappointing run last season, also reigned supreme. The lanky Thane paddler overpowered West Bengal’s promising left-hander Rajdeep Biswas in straight games (11-6, 11-9, 11-9). Rajdeep, who had bowed out in the u-13 semifinals a day earlier, found Prateek’s onslaught too difficult to withstand.
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