Diya shines in Maharashtra’s gold medal haul of three

Maharashtra’s young table tennis players showed their class once again, winning three gold and three silver medals in the 11th Sports Cadet and Sub-Junior National Championships here on Tuesday. Their feat is even more commendable as six players from the state featured in each of the six finals that took place on the day.

Mumbai’s Diya Chitale, the defending Sub-Junior National Champion, got the better of Munmun Kundu of West Bengal 4-0 (11-4,11-5,11-6,11-5) for her second successive gold medal in the championship.

The gold feast for Maharashtra started with the Sub-Junior Girls and Boys doubles’ pairs clinching the two titles. Diya Chitale and Mihika Rohira (both Mumbai) beat the Haryana pair of Suhana Saini and Poornima Rohilla in a dominating 3-0 (11-6,11-7,11-8) performance.

Deepit Patil (Thane) and Dev Shroff (Mumbai) then beat the Delhi duo of Payas Jain & Arush Dutt 3-2  (11-7, 5-11, 13-11,7-11, 11-9) for the Sub-Junior Boys Doubles’ crown.

Dev Shroff (Mumbai) lost to defending champion H. Jeho in a thrilling 4-2 (11-5,8-11,11-9,9-11,11-4,11-7) encounter in the Sub-Junior Boys’ finals to settle for the silver. Havish Asrani (Mumbai), playing his first National final of the season, lost to  top seed Suresh Priyesh of Tamil Nadu 3-2 (11-8,11-8,9-11,12-10,11-2) in the Cadet Boys’ final while Prutha Vartikar (Pune) also lost to top seed Suhana Saini of Haryana 4-2 (9-11,10-12,11-4,11-9,11-3,11-6)in the Cadet Girls final.

In all, Maharashtra’s players won 6 gold, 3 silver and 1 bronze medal.