In a nail-biting finale that kept spectators on the edge of their seats, the rising table tennis stars from Ludhiana emerged victorious, capturing the prestigious Punjab State Team Championship. The city's girls' team sealed the title with a thrilling 3-2 win over a determined Amritsar side, headlining the action on the penultimate day of a massive state-level tournament.
Home Advantage and Tournament Scale
The home-court advantage at the Table Tennis Stadium in Ludhiana proved decisive on the third day of the 66th Punjab State Open and Inter-District Table Tennis Championship. Organized by the Ludhiana District Table Tennis Association under the Punjab State Table Tennis Association, the event commenced on December 20 and has become a colossal gathering for the sport's talent. The four-day spectacle has successfully drawn between 500 and 600 athletes, representing a total of 18 districts from across Punjab.
Showcasing Future Champions Across Age Groups
The championship is designed to showcase a broad spectrum of talent, with competitions for men and women spanning age brackets from Under-11 all the way to Under-19. While the team championships were focused on the Under-15 and Under-18 categories, the individual events have seen fierce battles in younger age groups as well.
In the Girls' Singles Under-11 quarterfinals, Rashmeen of Fatehgarh established her dominance with a commanding straight-sets victory over Moga's Amani (11-6, 11-8, 11-7). She was joined in the semifinals by other standout performers:
- Anamol from Jalandhar
- Nuyati, also representing Fatehgarh
- Inaya Sharma of Amritsar, who fought hard to overcome Ludhiana's Nysa (12-10, 11-9, 11-8)
Under-13 Division Highlights
The Under-13 girls' division saw strong local representation from Ludhiana, with Guranshi and Sanaya advancing to the next round thanks to dominant performances. Amritsar's Inaya Sharma continued her impressive form in this category too, securing another straight-sets win, this time over Niyati. Her teammate, Amani from Amritsar, also progressed by defeating Kiara Kakkar.
The championship is set for an exciting conclusion tomorrow, with final matches scheduled across both senior and youth individual categories, promising more high-quality table tennis action.
Tournament Scoreboard (Key Quarterfinals):
Girls' Singles Under-11:
Rashmeen (Fatehgarh) def Amani (Moga) 11-6, 11-8, 11-7
Anamol (Jalandhar) def Harseerat Kaur (Hoshiarpur) 11-8, 11-9, 11-7
Nuyati (Fatehgarh) def Mishika (Jalandhar) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6
Inaya Sharma (Amritsar) def Nysa (Ludhiana) 12-10, 11-9, 11-8
Girls' Singles Under-13:
Guranshi (Ludhiana) def Anmol (Jalandhar) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10
Inaya Sharma (Amritsar) def Niyati 11-6, 11-8, 11-9
Sanaya (Ludhiana) def Dhriti Sharma (Patiala) 11-6, 12-10, 15-10
Amani (Amritsar) def Kiara Kakkar (Amritsar) 11-9, 11-7, 11-5
