India’s Priyanuj Bhattacharya and Japan’s Miku Matsushima emerged as the standout performers on the final day of the WTT Youth Contender 2026, presented by the Sports Authority of Gujarat, as they claimed the U-19 boys’ and girls’ singles titles respectively at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex on Monday.
The finals capped a high-quality week of junior table tennis that underlined both India’s growing depth at the youth level and the strong international presence at the event.
The second edition of the WTT Youth Contender in Vadodara, hosted by the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and implemented by Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), featured 226 players competing across age categories ranging from U-11 to U-19. With a packed schedule and representation from multiple countries, the tournament offered young paddlers a valuable platform to test themselves against top-tier competition.
In the U-19 boys’ singles final, Priyanuj Bhattacharya displayed remarkable composure under pressure to defeat Sarthak Arya in straight games. Although the scoreline suggested a comfortable win, the contest was decided by fine margins, with Priyanuj holding his nerve at crucial moments. The opening game went down to the wire before Priyanuj edged it 12-10, setting the tone for the match. He followed it up with an assertive second game and sealed the title by clinching a tense third game that once again went beyond regulation points. His ability to stay calm during extended rallies and clutch points proved decisive.
Priyanuj’s path to the title was equally impressive. Boys’ top seed Abhinandh Pradhivadhi was knocked out in the quarterfinals by Naman Bhatnagar, who then faced Priyanuj in the semifinals. Priyanuj overcame that challenge convincingly, underlining his consistency across the knockout stages.
The U-19 girls’ singles final saw Japan’s Miku Matsushima produce a strong comeback to defeat top seed Divyanshi Bhowmick in a five-game battle. After taking the first game, Miku dropped the next two as Divyanshi looked set to assert control. However, the Japanese paddler responded with maturity beyond her years, adjusting her placement and tempo to wrest back momentum. She dominated the latter stages of the match, closing out the final two games decisively to secure the title.
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Earlier in the semifinals, Miku had already showcased her resilience by eliminating another leading Indian junior, Jennifer Varghese, in a closely fought five-game encounter. Jennifer, in turn, had earlier defeated defending champion Syndrela Das in the quarterfinals. Syndrela still enjoyed a successful campaign overall, having already claimed the girls’ U-17 singles and U-19 mixed doubles titles at this edition of the tournament.
Beyond the U-19 category, India’s younger players also enjoyed notable success. In the U-11 events, Aadya Baheti captured the girls’ title with a hard-fought win over Sakshya Santosh, while Rajdeep Biswas emerged champion in the boys’ singles after a four-game victory against Sharvil Karambelkar. Both finals highlighted the competitive nature of the youngest age group, with several games decided by narrow margins.
In the U-15 boys’ singles, top seed Aditya Das lived up to expectations with a dominant straight-games win over Sanjay Jagdish, using his aggressive play to control proceedings throughout the final. The U-15 girls’ final, however, was a far tighter affair. Sreejani Chakraborty showed grit and stamina to prevail in a five-game contest, turning the match around after being pushed hard by her opponent.
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With champions crowned across all age groups, the WTT Youth Contender 2026 in Vadodara concluded as a significant success, both in terms of participation and performance standards. For Indian players in particular, the event provided valuable international exposure, while also reaffirming the country’s strong pipeline of junior talent heading into future WTT and ITTF events.
Final Match Scores
•U-19 Boys’ Singles: Priyanuj Bhattacharya bt Sarthak Arya 12-10, 11-8, 14-12
•U-19 Girls’ Singles: Miku Matsushima bt Divyanshi Bhowmick 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-3
•U-15 Boys’ Singles: Aditya Das bt Sanjay Jagdish 11-4, 11-9, 11-8
•U-15 Girls’ Singles: Sreejani Chakraborty bt opponent 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-7, 11-5
•U-11 Girls’ Singles: Aadya Baheti bt Sakshya Santosh 15-13, 11-8, 12-10
•U-11 Boys’ Singles: Rajdeep Biswas bt Sharvil Karambelkar 11-8, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4
