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Chennai / The New Indian Express

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India boys make a smashing history

Chennais PB Abhinandh was among Indias U-19 boys table tennis team that bagged a historic silver medal at the 2025 ITTF World Youth Championships, held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Though the young team fell 0-3 to a strong Japanese team in the final, their journey has ignited hope, pride, and given a big boost for Indian table tennis, as for the first time, an Indian boys team reached the final of this premier world event. The path to the final was filled with pressure, grit, and immense determination. The Indian trio Ankur Bhattacharjee, Abhinandh, and Priyanuj Bhattacharya put up a splendid show and demonstrated that India can win on the world stage. Their breakthrough moment came in the semifinal clash against Chinese Taipei, a team known for its speed and precision. India came out with a 3-2 win to enter the final. Ankur gave India an early lead by beating Hsu Hsien-Chia 3-2. Kuo Guan-Hong responded with a 3-1 win over Abhinandh to level the score. Priyanuj restored Indias advantage with a hard-fought 3-2 victory against Lin Chin-Ting. Chinese Taipei forced a decider when Kuo defeated Ankur 3-0. However, Abhinandh rose to the occasion and sealed the tie with a commanding 3-0 win over Hsu, ensuring Indias place in the final. I would say its a mix of both joy and a bit of heartbreak; however, we are certainly very happy and immensely proud that we are the first Indian team ever to reach a final at the World Youth Championships, which is a historic achievement. It was a surreal feeling to be standing on the podium with the Indian flag being hoisted. We all put in 100% effort and will surely try to go one step higher next time around, Abhinandh told CE. In the final against Japan, it was a battle of nerves and skill. Playing the final was a great moment for all of us to start with, and it was certainly an intense, high-pressure experience from the first point. We fought for every point, but could feel the pressure building with each lost game. It was a tough, clinical performance from Japan, and we just couldnt break through, he shared. Abhinandh prepared for the championship with coach Subin Kumar at Chennai Achievers Academy. He gave me a lot of tips and strategies to counter the opponents, as all the teams were generally good coming into the championships. Intensive national camps organised by TTFI in SAI Centers under senior Indian team head coach Massimo Constantini were also crucial for our match preparation. We played in a few lead-up tournaments in Europe before arriving in Romania, which helped me as a player as I beat top Japanese players in one of the tournaments in Skopje, he added. Japans consistency, tactical discipline, and quicksilver reflexes helped them beat India. Yet, our boys walked off with their heads held high. We played against Japans top players like Ryuusei Kawasaki, Kazuki Yoshiyama, and Tamito Watanabe. They were extremely aggressive, and it was certainly difficult as they dont give any easy points to score. We put up a fight, but they were too good on that day with their service and attack, said Abhinandh. Meanwhile, the India U-15 girls team, comprising Ankolika Chakraborty, Divyanshi Bhowmick, and Ananya Muralidharan, secured bronze after losing 0-3 to South Africa in their semifinal.

3 Dec 2025 6:07 am