At the ITTF World Youth Championships 2023, held in Slovenia, the Indian U-19 women's table tennis team scripted history by securing a bronze medal in the event.
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At the ITTF World Youth Championships 2023, held in Slovenia, the Indian U-19 women’s table tennis team scripted history by securing a bronze medal in the event. This is the first time India has accomplished a medal in this age category. The team, featuring Yashaswini Ghorpade, Suhana Saini, Sayali Wani, and Taneesha Kotecha, showcased tremendous skills but ultimately fell to the top-ranked Chinese team in the semi-finals, thus leading them to a third-place finish. The Indian team, which began their journey with a bye in the round of 16 due to their fourth-seed status, displayed remarkable potential in the competition.
In the quarter-finals, the Indian team faced a formidable challenge against Egypt, led by the world-ranked No. 30 player, Hana Goda. Goda, living up to her reputation, dominated the opening match against Suhana Saini and earned a victory in straight sets (11-6, 11-4, 11-4) and put Egypt ahead. However, the Indian team bounced back, with Yashaswini and Taneesha claiming convincing 3-0 victories over their Egyptian counterparts, Farida Badawy and Mariam Younes, changing the score to a 2-1 lead for India.
The tension built up as Hana Goda returned for the reverse singles with another 3-0 win over Yashaswini, evening the score at 2-2. The decisive fifth match saw Suhana Saini initially losing the first game, however, she quickly regained her composure to claim the next three sets to seal the match and ensure a medal for India.
In the quest for bronze, the Indian team competed against the formidable Chinese squad, the top seeds and titans of the sport. In the first match, Sayali Wani, in her tournament debut, put up a valiant fight against Chen Yi, pushing the game to a nail-biting fifth set, which Chen narrowly won 17-15. Following this, the Chinese duo of Xu Yi and Qin Yuxuan clinched consecutive 3-0 wins over Yashaswini and Suhana, which confirmed India’s bronze medal finish. Meanwhile, the Indian Men’s U19 team faced an early exit with a 1-3 loss to Chinese Taipei in the round of 16, and the U15 women’s team bowed out in the quarterfinals against South Korea.
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