Shimla, April 10 India's young table tennis players continued their impressive run, reaching the singles quarterfinals in both the U-19 and U-15 categories at the Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships after a successful performance in the team events.
However, across all categories, India's higher-ranked players were granted direct entry into the semifinals, scheduled for Saturday.
With the rule of having two players per nation in singles, the hosts capitalized on this opportunity, effectively controlling the competition.
In the Under-19 boys category, Priyanuj Bhattacharjee and Punit Biswas dominated their respective groups, maintaining unbeaten records.
Bhattacharjee played flawlessly, while Biswas, after losing a single game to Sri Lanka's Akain Viyanduwa despite being ahead 2-0, quickly regained control with a decisive 3-0 victory over Nepal's Erish Shakya.
The Indian girls also performed admirably. Jennifer Varghese and Ananya Muralidharan easily won their group in the Under-19 girls category, defeating their opponents with dominant 3-0 scores, thus solidifying their chances of winning the title.
In the Under-15 boys section, Aditya Das and Akshay Kirikara also advanced to the quarterfinals with similar authority.
Das only lost one game against Sri Lanka's Yenul Abeywickrama but otherwise maintained control.
Kirikara, the left-handed player, played exceptionally well, defeating Bangladesh's Midul Mohammad and Nepal's Nischal Thapa with consecutive 3-0 victories.
The Under-15 girls also continued their winning streak, with Ankolika Chakraborty and Ahona Ray topping their groups and progressing to the knockout stage without any difficulties, mirroring the performance of their senior counterparts.
Meanwhile, the doubles events began from the quarterfinal stage, with one pair from each nation competing.
The competition for medals will intensify on Saturday, where India aims to convert its dominance into a successful haul of titles.