Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, July 21:

Nepal, who won two bronze medals on the first day, were stopped by their Indian rivals on the second day of the SAF Junior Table Tennis Championships at Talkatora Indoor Stadium, New Delhi, today. Amar Lal Malla of Nepal, who defeated Dupchu Karma of Bhutan 11-9, 11-3, 11-7 in the first round, failed to keep going and was beaten by India’s Abhishek Ravi Chandran 11-9, 11-3, 13-11, 9-11, 11-5 in boys’ singles second round match. In other first round matches, Nepal’s Ajay Suwal lost to India’s Aman Balgu 4-11, 2-11, 9-11, while Deep Saun went down to India’s Sanil Shetty 11-9, 7-11, 7-11, 11-9, 4-11. Swechhya Nembang gave some relief to Nepali fans by advancing to the girls’ singles second round. Nembang beat Sahamatha Mariyam of India 11-4, 12-10, 11-2. In other first round actions, Pallavi Kundu of India outplayed Pujan Shrestha of Nepal 11-3, 11-4, 11-5; and Sanika Silva of Sri Lanka beat Nepal’s Reeta Prajapati 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-8.

Nepali girls also lost their doubles quarter-final match to Indians. Reeta Prajapati and Pujan Shrestha lost in straight sets to Salankara Mohalanobish and Pallavi Kundu 1-11, 3-11, 7-11.

In boys’ doubles, Sri Lankans Liyanage Gihan and Wicramanayaka Sukitha advanced to the semi-finals beating Nepali pair of Amar Lal Malla and Deep Saun 11-13, 11-2, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11. The mixed doubles team of Nepal were ousted by Indians in both the second round. Ajay Suwal and Swechhya Nembang advanced to the second round beating Bhutan’s Dupchu Karma and Choden Yeshi 11-9, 11-5, 11-9 and were outplayed by the Indian duo Abhishek and Neha Aggarwal 11-5, 11-2, 11-4 in the second. Also, the duo of Deep Saun and Reeta Prajapati of Nepal went down 9-11, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11 to Indians Arpit Bhopalkar and Shamini Kumaresan in the second round. India’s Sanil Shetty and Pallavi Kundu stopped Nepal’s Amar Lal Malla and Pujan Shrestha 12-14, 12-10, 11-1, 11-5 in the first round.