India wins historic silver in U-19 boys team event at World Youth Championships; U-15 girls bag bronze

India made a memorable debut at the ITTF World Youth Championships in Romania, clinching a historic silver in the U-19 boys team event and a bronze in the U-15 girls category. Strong performances across divisions underlined the growing depth of India’s young paddlers.

Hyderabad: India’s young paddlers made a strong debut at the ITTF World Youth Championships 2025 in Romania, returning with a historic silver medal in the Under-19 Boys team event and creditable performances across other age groups, including a bronze in the Under-15 Girls Team event.

The Under-19 Boys squad produced the standout performance, reaching the final with confidence and tactical maturity before going down 0-3 to Japan. The title clash opened with a tense five-game battle, where Ankur Bhattacharjee pushed Ryuusei Kawakami to the limit before losing 17-15, 6-11, 12-10, 4-11, 11-13. Japan then extended their lead as Kazaki Yoshiyama beat Abhinand 11-7, 11-8, 11-6, followed by Tamito Watanabe’s straight-games win (11-9, 11-7, 11-3) over Priyanuj Bhattacharyya to seal the gold.

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Earlier, India entered the final with a thrilling 3-2 win over Chinese Taipei in the semifinals. Ankur set the tone with a five-game victory over Hsu Hsien-Chia, while Priyanuj’s gritty win over Lin Chin-Tang kept India in the contest. The decisive moment came from Abhinand, who delivered a commanding 11-4, 11-8, 11-8 win over Hsu to secure a historic berth in the final.

The Under-15 Girls added to India’s impressive debut by reaching the semifinals and earning a bronze medal. Despite their 0-3 loss to South Korea, Ankolika Chakraborty, Divyanshi Bhowmick, and Ananya Muralidharan displayed promise, particularly after the team’s notable 3-1 win over Germany in the quarterfinals.

In the Under-19 Girls event, India fell narrowly 2-3 to Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals despite a spirited showing. Wins from Syndrela Das, Pritha Vartikar, and Taneesha Kotecha gave India chances, but consistency from Taipei in the final match halted India’s progress.

India’s maiden campaign in Cluj-Napoca showcased skill, temperament, and growing international confidence. The silver and bronze medals, along with competitive matches across divisions, mark an encouraging new chapter for Indian table tennis on the global stage.