Table Tennis: India wins first-ever boys' U15 team silver at Asian Youth C'ships

In a landmark achievement for Indian table tennis, the U15 Boys team clinched a historic first-ever silver medal at the 29th Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

The Indian trio of Sahil Rawat, Ritvik Gupta, and Aditya Das defeated traditional powerhouse South Korea 3-1 in the semi-final before falling to China 0-3 in the final of the team knockout event.

The continental tournament, conducted under the aegis of the Asian Table Tennis Union and the ITTF, featured elite youth teams from across Asia in two age categories – Under-19 and Under-15.

U15 Boys Team - India’s best-ever finish

In the U15 boys team semi-final, India defeated Republic of Korea 3-1 in a thrilling encounter to book their place in the final.

Though Sahil Rawat lost the opening match to Lee Seungsoo (1-3), Ritvik Gupta staged a brilliant comeback, edging past Lee Hyeonho in a tight five-game battle (8-11, 10-12, 15-13, 11-6, 11-6).

Aditya Das followed with a composed 3-2 win over Kim Ryeowon (11-6, 13-15, 11-7, 10-12, 11-8).

In the crucial fourth rubber, Ritvik returned to face Lee Seungsoo and delivered under pressure, clinching a 3-2 victory (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 7-11, 11-4) to seal India’s 3-1 triumph and their first-ever final in this category.

This emphatic win propelled India into the final against top seeds China.

In the summit clash, however, the Indian boys were outplayed by a technically polished Chinese lineup and went down 0-3, settling for a historic silver.

In the opening match, Sahil Rawat fought hard but lost to Yu Haiyang 2-3 (2-11, 11-8, 2-11, 12-10, 4-11).

Ritvik Gupta then went down in straight games to Zhou Guanhong (12-14, 8-11, 5-11), while Aditya Das showed resistance but eventually lost 1-3 to Wang Zining (3-11, 11-8, 3-11, 9-11).

Despite the defeat, the Indian boys’ spirited performance throughout the tournament earned them a first-ever silver medal in this age group, marking a new high in India’s youth table tennis history.

U19 Boys Team - Bronze after semi-final exit

In the U19 boys’ team semi-final, India went down 2-3 in a closely-fought encounter against Republic of Korea, settling for a bronze medal.

Ankur Bhattacharjee was India’s standout performer, winning both his singles matches. He began by defeating Kwon Hyuk in a five-game comeback 6-11, 5-11, 11-8, 11-5, 11-9 and later edged out Kim Gaon 3–2.

However, Abhinandh Pradhivadhi lost both his matches — to Kim Gaon (11-13, 7-11, 11-5, 7-11) and Kwon Hyuk (11-13, 11-8, 4-11, 8-11).

Priyanuj Bhattacharyya also fell short against Choi Jiwook, losing 1-3. Despite the defeat, India’s performance was strong enough to earn them a well-deserved place on the podium with the bronze medal.