Indian U-19 women’s table tennis team clinch bronze at ITTF World Youth Championships 2023

This is India’s first team medal in the said category.

In a historic achievement, the Indian U-19 women’s table tennis team clinched the bronze medal at the ITTF World Youth Championships 2023 held in Slovenia. This marks the first-ever team medal for India in the U-19 category at the Championships.

The team, comprising of Yashaswini Ghorpade, Suhana Saini, Sayali Wani, and Taneesha Kotecha, showcased exceptional skill and determination throughout the tournament. India settled for a bronze medal finish after going down to China in the semifinals.

The Indian U19 Women's #TableTennis team comprising of Yashaswini Ghorpade, Suhana Saini, Sayali Wani and Taneesha Kotecha clinched the Bronze Medal 🥉 at the ongoing ITTF World Youth Championships 2023! 🇮🇳🏓Congratulations!! 👏👏#ITTFWorldYouths pic.twitter.com/nsv1lnfQxa

— Khel Now (@KhelNow) November 28, 2023

They had reached the semis after defeating a tough Egyptian side in the quarter-final round. Seeded fourth in the tournament, India received a bye in the round of 16, while Egypt, led by Hana Goda, beat Slovenia 3-1 in their last 16 tie.

It was Egypt who started on top with Hana beating Suhana Saini in straight games. Despite the setback, India bounced back with Yashaswini and Taneesha winning 3-0 over Farida Badawy and Mariam Younes respectively, to give India a 2-1 lead.

However, the fourth match saw Hana return and overpower Yashaswini with a 3-0 win to tie the match at 2-2. The decisive fifth match was played by Suhana, who, after losing her first game to Farida, regained momentum to win three consecutive games, securing the match and a medal for India.

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In the bronze medal match, India faced the giants of the game, China. Sayali Wani, playing her first match of the tournament, put up a valiant fight against China’s Chen Yi in a five-set thriller. However, Chen clinched the fifth set after a marathon game, giving China a 1-0 lead in the tie. Xu Yi and Qin Yuxuan then sealed the tie with consecutive 3-0 wins over Yashaswini and Suhana respectively.

Despite the defeat, the Indian team’s performance was commendable, and they returned home with the well-deserved bronze medal.

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