Indian junior paddlers finish with bronze medal

The Indian 'A' boys team bagged the bronze medal in the juniors' team event of the SET 2017 Thailand Junior & Cadet Open, an ITTF World Junior Circuit Golden Series tournament, in Bangkok.
The Indian 'A' team, comprising Manav Thakkar, Parth Virmani and Manush Shah, were unable to play their usual game and lost 0-3 to Japan in the semi-final round, according to information received here today.
India found the going tough from the start and could not offer much of a challenge to the Japanese lads as Shah was easily beaten by Fumiya Igarashi 5-11, 5-11, 3-11 in the first rubber.

In the second rubber, Thakkar started on a promising note by winning the first two games, but could not maintain the momentum and lost to Seiya Numamura in five games at 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 2-11, 11-13.
Later, Virmani also lost tamely to Ryu Hiruta 5-11, 3-11, 6-11.
Earlier in the quarter-final round, the Indian team rallied to overcome Hong Kong 3-1, while the 'B' team crashed to a 0-3 defeat against Japan.

In cadet boys' section, India were beaten 3-0 by Hong Kong in the quarters.
Quarter final results:-
Junior Boys: India 'A' beat Hong Kong 3-1 (Manush Shah lost to Tsz Tsun Tsang 9-11, 9-11, 12-10, 5-11; Manav Thakkar bt Pak Hei Cheng 11-8, 11-9, 6-11, 11-13, 11-6; Parth Virmani bt Baldwin Chan 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, 16-14; Manav Thakkar bt Tsz Tsun Tsang 11-5, 11-8, 11-6).

India 'B' lost to Japan 0-3 (Snehit Suravajjula lost to Fumiya Igarashi 6-11, 6-11, 5-11; Jeet Chandra lost to Seiya Numamura 3-11, 11-13, 7-11; Payas Jain lost to Seiya Nishimura 7-11, 5-11, 11-4, 4-11.
Cadet Boys: India 'B' lost to Hong Kong 'A' 0-3 (Sujan Bharadwaj lost to Yee Shun Chan 7-11, 8-11, 6-11; Jash Modi lost to Maurice Chong 5-11, 4-11, 5-11; Nagesh Verenker lost to Hon Lam Wong 9-11, 2-11, 4-11).