The KK Sharma Memorial UP State Ranking Squash Championship in Kanpur witnessed fierce competition on Saturday, setting the stage for an exciting final day. The spotlight shines on the Under-17 girls' category, where Fabeeha Nafis and Aroma will battle for the title on Sunday.
Road to the Under-17 Girls' Final
Fabeeha Nafis secured her place in the championship match with a commanding performance, defeating Ashi Nagar from Noida in straight games with a score of 3-0. Her opponent, Aroma, faced a tougher challenge but ultimately prevailed against Shreya Srivastava from Varanasi with a 3-1 victory in their semi-final encounter.
Dominance from Dhampur and Varanasi
Saturday's play was action-packed, with a total of 44 ties contested across various age groups. Players from Dhampur and Varanasi continued their strong showing, dominating the proceedings across multiple categories.
The day's results painted a clear picture of emerging talent:
Boys' Category Highlights
In the Boys U-11 semi-finals, Devansh Sisodia (Dhampur) and Sparsh Kumar (Varanasi) advanced. Devansh beat Ram Babu 3-0, while Sparsh overcame Ansh Rai 3-1.
The U-13 category saw a strong Dhampur contingent, with Kavya Shankar, Anup Prajapati, and Naman Kumar all sailing into the semi-finals with convincing 3-0 wins.
U-15 quarter-finals were decisive, with Anoop Kumar (Vns), Arush Sharma (Dhampur), Arjun Maheshwari (Noida), and Madhur Anand (Prayagraj) all winning to move into the last four.
In the U-17 boys' section, Arnav Khandelwal (Noida), Aham Yadav (Dhampur), Anuj Kumar (Vns), and Raghav Vashistha (Dhampur) triumphed in their matches to secure semi-final berths.
Senior and Women's Categories
The Men's quarter-finals saw Anuj Kumar (Vns), Uday Bharti (Dhampur), and Samar Jaisal (Dhampur) advance to the semi-finals.
In the U-19 category, Shubham Kumar (Dhampur), Anuj Kumar (Vns), and Raghav Vashistha (Dhampur) emerged victorious to move forward.
The Women's quarter-finals featured wins for Khushboo (Dhampur), Pragati Maurya (Prayagraj), and Fabeeha Nafees (Dhampur), who all progressed in the tournament.
Other Sporting Events in Kanpur
Beyond the squash courts, Kanpur's sporting weekend is bustling. The Kanpur Cricket League, organized by the Kanpur Cricket Association (KCA), will kick off on Sunday at Green Park Stadium. The inaugural match will see Green Park Hostel take on MUC Cricket Club. Notably, the KCA is conducting this league without any sponsor. Police Commissioner Raghuveer Lal will inaugurate the event as chief guest at 9.30 am.
In a moment of pride for the city, Kanpur's own sport shooter Shubham Dixit was honored at the national level. The 10m air pistol shooter was conferred the prestigious 'Renowned Shot' title at India's premier national shooting championship conducted under the National Rifle Association of India (NRAI). This recognition is awarded to only a select group of shooters across the country based on exceptional performance standards.
The stage is now set for a thrilling conclusion to the KK Sharma Memorial UP State Ranking Squash Championship on Sunday, with young athletes from across Uttar Pradesh showcasing their skill and determination.
