The second edition of the WTT Youth Contender got underway at the SAMA Indoor Stadium on Friday, with several of India’s brightest table tennis prospects making a confident start to their campaigns.
Defending champion Divyanshi Bhowmick and fellow favourite Syndrela Das led the charge in the U-17 girls’ singles, while local talent Ved Panchal emerged as a standout performer in the boys’ category by winning all his group matches to book a place in the knockouts. The opening day featured competitions across age groups from U-11 to U-19, with U-13 and U-17 boys’ and girls’ events taking centre stage. As expected, the early rounds largely followed the script, with top seeds asserting their authority, though not without a few hard-fought encounters that underlined the depth of talent on display.
Divyanshi Bhowmick, who enjoyed a dominant run in the inaugural edition last year by winning both the U-15 and U-17 girls’ singles titles, wasted little time in stamping her authority once again. Drawn in Group 1, the defending champion opened her campaign with a clinical straight-games win over compatriot Neeza Kamat, prevailing 11-4, 11-1, 11-2. Divyanshi’s sharp footwork, early ball timing, and relentless pressure left her opponent with little room to settle, reaffirming her status as the player to beat in the category.
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Syndrela Das, another strong medal contender, was equally impressive in her Group 3 opener. She registered a comfortable 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 victory over Tania Karmakar, showcasing control from the backhand wing and consistency in longer rallies. Syndrela’s assured start placed her firmly on course for a smooth progression into the knockout rounds.
Japan’s Miku Matsushima, one of the prominent international names in the draw, also made a powerful statement in Group 2. Matsushima began with a dominant 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 win over Swara Karmakar before backing it up with a solid 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 victory against Anvi Gupte. Her disciplined shot selection and ability to vary pace stood out, as she took big strides towards securing a knockout berth.
Rising Indian star Tanishka Kalbhairav, another player to watch in the U-17 girls’ field, also began her campaign positively, contributing to a strong opening day for the home contingent.
In the U-17 boys’ singles, top seed Ritvik Gupta lived up to expectations by winning both his Group 1 matches. Gupta first overcame Dhruva Malikarjunan 11-9, 11-5, 11-5, showing composure in the opening game before tightening his grip on the contest. He then followed it up with a straight-games win over Shreyas Mankeshwar, edging a close first game 13-11 before closing out the match 11-6, 11-7.
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One of the most encouraging stories of the day came from local boy Ved Panchal, who delivered a flawless group-stage performance to top Group 21. Panchal began with a confident 11-9, 11-7, 11-7 win over Aarav Singhvi before being pushed to his limits by Aarav Rathi. In a tense five-game battle, Panchal showed admirable resilience, winning 11-9, 11-8 before dropping the next two games 9-11, 9-11, and then holding his nerve to clinch the decider 11-6. He rounded off his group campaign with a composed 12-10, 11-6, 11-7 victory over Nitin Veeraraghavan, sealing qualification with three wins from three matches.
Elsewhere in the U-17 boys’ section, Aditya Das and Sahil Rawat topped Group 2 and Group 3 respectively, both registering two victories to advance comfortably into the knockout stage.
The U-13 categories also provided competitive action. In the boys’ U-13 Group 1, Shaurya Goyal was made to work hard for his place, battling past Suchet Dharennavar in a gripping five-game encounter that ended 10-12, 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-6. The match was one of the most closely contested of the day, highlighting the fine margins at this level. In the girls’ U-13 section, top-ranked Divija Paul enjoyed a smooth start in Group 1. She opened with an 11-8, 11-3, 11-5 win over Inaaya before comfortably defeating Pehel Gupta 11-9, 11-7, 11-2, displaying calm control and tactical clarity throughout.
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With the group stages setting the tone, the WTT Youth Contender 2026 promises several compelling contests as the tournament progresses into the knockout rounds, where the real tests await India’s young hopefuls against strong domestic and international competition.
