Jeho, Anusha bag sub-junior titles

H. Jeho (left) and Alberto Lrruta in action in the sub-junior boys’ final of the 11Even Sports national ranking (North Zone) table tennis championships in Chandigarh on Monday.

H. Jeho of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy, Ajmer, bagged the gold medal in the sub-junior boys category while Anusha Kutumble of Madhya Pradesh won the top prize in the girls competition at the 11Even Sports national ranking (North Zone) table tennis championships in Chandigarh on Monday.

Jeho had to slug it out against another PSPBA boy, Alberto Lrruta, in his 4-3 win, while Anusha made it look simple against Delhi’s Vanshika Bhargava in her 4-1 triumph in their respective title clashes.

Jeho, despite being uncomfortable about having to use new rubber, had the upper hand as he went 2-0 up only to lose the next two games. However, Jeho was relentless in attack in the fifth which provided him the edge over his rival. Yet, Alberto came back nicely in the sixth to restore parity. But some of his shot selection in the crucial seventh game did him in as Jeho went from strength to strength to put the issue beyond Alberto.

In the sub-junior girls final, Anusha did not have to toil against the Delhi girl despite dropping a game in between. Oozing with potential the 14-year-old from Indore, showed what she is capable of by surging ahead with a 2-0 lead.

Anusha kept the ball on the table and let things take care of themselves. Vanshika made far too many mistakes apart from a few service errors which only helped Anusha’s cause as she completed the rout to earn the title.

Results Sub-junior boys: final: H. Jeho (PSPBA) bt Alberto Lrruta (PSPBA) 4-3 (11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 9-11, 11-8, 5-11, 11-6); semi-finals: Z. Jeho bt Yashansh Malik (Del) 4-3 (7-11, 8-11, 5-11, 13-11, 11-6, 13-11, 14-12); Alberto L bt C.K. Somaiya (PSPBA) 4-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-6, 11-3); quarter-finals: Jeho bt Dev Shroff (Mah-A) 3-0 (11-8, 11-6, 11-9), Yashansh Malik bt Vishwa Deenadayalan (TN) 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-7), Alberto L bt Sur Roy Siddhant (NB) 3-2 (11-7, 11-8, 10-12, 5-11, 11-8), C.K. Somaiya bt Jayabarth Bhattacharya (WB) 3-2 (11-4, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7). Sub-Junior Girls: final: Anusha Kutumble (MP) bt Vanshika Bhargava (Del) 4-1 (11-6, 13-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4; semi-finals: Anusha Kutumble bt Anjali Rohilla (Har) 4-1 (11-3, 10-12, 11-3, 11-7, 11-5), Vanshika Bhargava bt Dia Chitale (Mah-A) 4-3 (11-4, 12-10, 8-11, 7-11, 13-15, 11-7, 11-3); quarter-finals: Anusha Kutumble bt Kajol Ramjali (AP) 3-2 (5-11, 11-5, 12-10, 7-11, 11-6), Anjali Rohilla bt Anubha Bajaj (Del) 3-2 (11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 8-11, 11-7), Dia Chitale bt Munmun Kundu (WB) 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-9), Vanshika Bhargava bt Sharmita Srinivasan (TN) 3-0 (15-13, 11-9, 11-7).