Maiden title for Ashwini
K PRADEEP

KOZHIKODE, DECEMBER 8: It was a memorable day for Karnataka's B M Ashwini. She won her first National singles crown and then added the doubles title on the final day of the LIC 61st National Sub-Junior and Cadet table tennis championships today.

Little bespectacled Supraja Prasad won the cadet girls title to make it a clean sweep for Karnataka in the girls' events. Soumyajit Sarkar gave Bengal their only individual title winning the cadet boys singles.

This boy from Aizwal, Mizoram, thus became the first National champion from the hill state. David set the tempo in the final with some breathtaking strokes to run away with the first game.

Results (finals)
Sub-junior boys: David Zodin Puia (PSCBA) bt A Amal Raj (PSCBA) 21-15, 12-21, 21-18, 21-20. Cadet: Soumyajit Sarkar (Bng) bt Gourishanker Batsalya (Asm) 21-19, 14-21, 21-16, 21-18. Semi-finals (sub-junior): David Zodin Puia (PSCBA) bt Arunava Ganguly (PSCBA) 21-15, 21-11, 21-15. Cadet: Gourishanker Batsalya (Asm)bt Deepankar Saha (Bng) 21-19, 12-21, 21-19, 21-18; Soumyajit Sarkar (Bng) bt Partho Jyothi Gogoi (Asm) 14-21, 21-15, 21-19, 21-15. Doubles (final): Sub-junior:Subhajit Das/Amarnath Das (Bng) bt Nilay Basak/Sourav Pradhan (Bng) 21-17, 22-20;

Sub-junior girls: BM Ashwini (Kar) bt J Swarna (TN) 18-21, 22-20, 21-11, 21-18; Cadet girls: Supraja Prasad (Kar) bt K Shamini (TN) 21-18, 21-16, 20-22, 21-16. Sub-junior: BM Ashwini (Kar) bt S Sangeetha (TN) 21-7, 21-16, 15-21, 21-19; J Swarna (TN) bt Madhurika Patkar (Mah) 22-20, 21-12, 19-21, 21-7. Sub-junior (doubles): BM Ashwini/Smruthi Prasad (Kar) bt J Swarna/S Sangeetha (TN) 24-22, 21-16.

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