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Rising Stars Shine: Divyanshi, Syndrela Lead Charge at WTT Youth Contender 2026

The WTT Youth Contender 2026 kicked off in Vadodara with defending champions and top seeds making strong starts. In the girls' U-17, Divyanshi Bhowmick and Syndrela Das secured commanding straight-game victories in their group openers. Japan's Miku Matsushima also impressed with two wins, positioning herself well for the knockout stage. In the boys' events, top seed Ritvik Gupta won both his matches, while local favourite Ved Panchal advanced after a tough five-set battle.

Key Points: WTT Youth Contender 2026: Favourites Begin Campaigns in Style

  • Defending champ Divyanshi wins opener
  • Japan's Miku Matsushima advances
  • Top seed Ritvik Gupta dominates boys U-17
  • Local star Ved Panchal survives 5-set thriller
2 min read

WTT Youth Contender 2026: Favourites Divyanshi Bhowmick, Syndrela Das begin U-17 campaign in style

Defending champions Divyanshi Bhowmick & Syndrela Das start strong at the WTT Youth Contender in Vadodara. Get results from U-13 & U-17 categories.

"Divyanshi, who had won both the U-15 and U-17 girls singles titles last year, opened her campaign by blanking compatriot Neeza Kamat - Event Report"

Vadodara, Jan 2

Defending champion Divyanshi Bhowmik, Syndrela Das, Japan's Miku Matsushima, and rising star Tanishka Kalbhairav kicked off their U-17 girls singles campaign in the World Table Tennis Youth Contender 2026 with comfortable wins in the group stage at the SAMA Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

The second edition of WTT Youth Contender, which kicked off on Friday, features competitions from U-11 to U-19, with the U-13 and U-17 boys' and girls' teams in action on the opening day.

Divyanshi, who had won both the U-15 and U-17 girls singles titles last year, opened her campaign by blanking compatriot Neeza Kamat 11-4, 11-1, 11-2 in the Group 1 opener, while Syndrela defeated Tania Karmakar 11-6, 11-6, 11-2 in Group 3.

Japan's Matsushima took big strides towards the knockout stage with 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 wins over Swara Karmakar and then defeated Anvi Gupte 11-6, 11-3, 11-8 in Group 2.

In the boys' U-17 category, top seed Ritvik Gupta won both his Group 1 matches. Gupta defeated Dhruva Malikarjunan 11-9, 11-5, 11-5 and then got the better of Shreyas Mankeshwar 13-11, 11-6, 11-7.

Local boy Ved Panchal also advanced to the knockout stage with three wins from three matches in Group 21. He first defeated Aarav Singhvi 11-9, 11-7, 11-7, then overcame a stiff challenge from Aarav Rathi with a 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6 before beating Nitin Veeraraghavan 12-10, 11-6, 11-7 to top the group.

Aditya Das and Sahil Rawat from Group 2 and Group 3 also topped their respective groups with two victories.

In the U-13 boys category, Shaurya Goyal was made to work hard for his 10-12, 11-9, 13-11, 7-11, 11-6 win over Suchet Dharennavar in group 1.

Divija Paul, the top-ranked player in girls' U-13, didn't break much sweat in Group 1 as she registered easy wins. First, she defeated Inaaya 11-8, 11-3, 11-5, and then got the better of Pehel Gupta 11-9, 11-7, 11-2.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

A
Arjun K
Great to see Vadodara hosting such an event. Ved Panchal's five-set win shows real grit. These tournaments are crucial for development. Hope the media gives it more coverage.
R
Rohit P
The Japanese player Miku Matsushima seems like a serious contender. Our girls need to be prepared for that challenge. Good experience playing against international talent on home soil.
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Sarah B
Impressive performances across the board! The depth in the U-13 category is promising too. Divija Paul cruising through her matches. Wishing all the young athletes the very best.
K
Karthik V
While the wins are good, some scorelines like 11-1, 11-2 suggest a big gap between top seeds and others. Need more grassroots programs to raise the overall level, not just focus on a few stars.
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Nisha Z
Shaurya Goyal's comeback win in U-13 is the kind of fighting spirit we love to see! 💪 These kids are putting in the hard work. Hope they get the support system to reach the top.

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