Young Indian Table Tennis Prodigies Shine at WTT Youth Contender Event
Young Indian table tennis prodigies Kacper Piwowar and Abraham Sellado made their mark at the recent WTT Youth Contender event in Luxembourg. Both players navigated their way through the group stages in two different age categories, showcasing their talent and potential on the international stage.
Impressive Performances by Piwowar and Sellado
In the under-17 group, Piwowar (world ranking 301) and Sellado (world ranking 326) each secured one victory before bowing out to higher-ranked opponents in the round of 64. Piwowar fell to world No. 63 junior Julian Rzihauschek of Austria, while Sellado was defeated by France’s Noah Vitel, ranked 169th in the world juniors.
The story was different in the under-15 category, where both Piwowar and Sellado topped their respective groups, earning byes to the last 32. However, their journey was cut short as Sellado succumbed to Poland’s Mateusz Gawlas (world ranking 383), and Piwowar was ousted by Austria’s Tobias Tischberger (world ranking 380).
Notable Performances and Setbacks
- Prayrit Ahluwalia and Shahuraj Nimse faced early exits in the group stages of the under-17 and under-15 events.
- A notable performance came from Sinan Surensoy in the under-13 category, ranked 1,182nd in the world juniors. Surensoy pulled off a stunning 3-2 victory over top seed Miroslav Schmidt of Bulgaria, ranked 416th. Despite this success, Surensoy’s overall group stage record of two wins and two losses was not enough to secure a spot in the knockout rounds.
Mixed Doubles Event
In the Under-15 Mixed Doubles event, Sellado partnered with Vaishnavi Jaiswal of India, making it to the last 32. Their campaign concluded after a straight-sets defeat to the sixth-ranked pair of Lee Dahye and Kim Seongwon from South Korea.
This tournament showcased the rising talent and determination of these young Indian table tennis players, who are making their presence felt on the international stage. Their performances at the WTT Youth Contender in Luxembourg have undoubtedly laid the groundwork for their future success in the sport.
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