Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships 2026: Abhinandh and Divyanshi Bhowmick beat China to guarantee medal in Bangkok

India's top-seeded U-19 mixed doubles pair P.B. Abhinandh and Divyanshi Bhowmick defeated China’s Yiren Tang and Yiyi Jiang in straight games to storm into the semifinals of the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, ensuring at least a bronze

Hyderabad: India’s top-seeded under-19 mixed doubles pair of P.B. Abhinandh and Divyanshi Bhowmick moved within one step of the final after producing a sensational victory over the second Chinese combination to storm into the semifinals of the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships in Bangkok on Wednesday.

With the emphatic 11-9, 11-6, 11-7 quarterfinal triumph, the Indian pair has not only secured a place in the last four but also assured the country of at least a bronze medal in the prestigious continental championships.

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Abhinandh and Divyanshi displayed remarkable composure and tactical discipline to outplay Yiren Tang and Yiyi Jiang of China. The victory underlined the growing stature of the Indian pair, who entered the championships as the top seeds and have so far lived up to that billing with a string of commanding performances.

Earlier in the competition, the Indian duo had comfortably negotiated their Round of 16 encounter, booking their place in the quarterfinals. Against the Hong Kong pair of Alvin Wong and Su Tsz Tung, they raised their game further, combining aggressive attack with consistent placement and excellent coordination to deny their opponents any opportunity to settle into rhythm. The Indians won 11-6, 11-8, 11-9.

The victory has set up an intriguing semifinal clash tomorrow against Thailand’s Thitaphat Preechayan and Kulapassr Vijitviriyagul, who will enjoy home support but face the daunting task of stopping the tournament’s top-seeded pair. A win on Thursday would take the Indians into the championship final and keep alive their hopes of winning the coveted Asian title.

India’s second mixed pair of Priyanuj Bhattacharyya and Syndrela Das also impressed before bowing out in the quarterfinals. The duo began the day on a high, defeating an Uzbek combination, Diyorbek Dilshodov and Arujan Kamalova, 11-6, 11-6, 8-11, 12-10 in the pre-quarterfinals to advance to the last eight.

Their impressive run, however, came to an end against the formidable third-seeded Chinese pair, Hechen Li and Ruixuan Yao. Despite putting up a spirited fight, the Indians were unable to overcome the higher-ranked opponents, whose experience and consistency proved decisive in the knockout encounter, which they lost 7-11, 16-18, 7-11, especially in the second game, dampening their spirit.

The spotlight will now be firmly on Abhinandh and Bhowmick, who have secured India a place on the podium and will now seek to convert that guaranteed medal into a place in the final.