Double for Manav, Selenadeepthi comes back to win title

LUCKNOW: Continuing his good run of form, Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy’s Manav Thakkar defeated West Bengal’s Anirban Ghosh 4-2 in the Junior Boys final in the LIC National Ranking (North Zone) Table Tennis Championships at the Eklavya Indoor Stadium in Agra on Saturday. This was his second title, having already claimed the Sub-Junior Boys crown on the second day of the championships.

Tamil Nadu’s Selenadeepthi Selvakumar made amends for her previous title loss to overcome Airports Authority of India’s Harsha Vardhini to win the Junior Girls trophy 4-2.

Manav, who is in his zone, put out on display his variety of strokes without any mental block against the West Bengal boy. Anirban, normally an attacking player, found the going tough against Manav, who never flinches to go for the kill, irrespective of the situation. But today was a normal day for him and he went about the task, sending his downthe-line forehand winners and also playing away from the table, clinically to ward off even an imaginary threat from Anirban.

Selena, on the other hand, had everything to lose. She, however,

TAMIL NADU’S SELENADEEPTHI SELVAKUMAR MADE AMENDS FOR HER PREVIOUS TITLE LOSS TO OVERCOME AIRPORTS AUTHORITY OF INDIA’S HARSHA VARDHINI TO WIN THE JUNIOR GIRLS TROPHY 4-2

brought variety to his strokes and brilliantly used the table to outwit her AAI opponent, who would have done better if she were able to shed those minor errors at the net.

Manav Thakkar is proving to be Jeet Chandra’s nemesis. On their fifth consecutive meeting in recent times, Jeet yet again failed to overcome the Manav phobia. Today in the semifinals, Jeet went down in straight games of 7-11, 11-13, 6011, 8-11 but Manav’s rival in the final, Anirban Ghosh, escaped by the skin of the teeth against PSPBA’s Lalrin Puia.

Puia, being erratic at times, proved t o be his undoing despite waging a wonderful battle against the West Bengal lad who led 2-0. Puia staged a comeback of sorts but could not withstand a clinical onslaught by Anirban.