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Indian girls tennis team, featuring Odisha player Aahan, emerged champions in the ITF 12 & Under Team Competition (South Asia Regional Qualifying Event), which was held at National Tennis Centre, Satdobato, Lalitpur, Nepal from 13 to 17 June 2022. Sri Lanka finished runners-up.
Indian boys team were also crowned champions, while Pakistan settled as runners-up. The champion and runners-up teams in both categories qualified for the Finals, which is scheduled to be held in Kazakhstan later this year.
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In the South Asia Regional Qualifying Event for girls, the three-member Indian team won all of their five round-robin league matches, defeating Maldives 3-0, Sri Lanka 2-1, Bangladesh 3-0, Nepal 3-0 and Bhutan 3-0. Prachi Malik and Anandita Upadhyay were other two players of the Indian girls team.
Aahan played a total of six rubbers, which included four singles and two doubles. She won all four singles and one doubles. The one defeat she suffered with an inconsequential doubles against Sri Lanka.
Aahan is a student of St Xaviers High School, Kedargouri, Old Town, Bhubaneswar. She trains at Ace-Base Tennis Academy at Naharkanta, Bhubaneswar, under the guidance of eminent coach Ajay Kumar Nishank. Coach Nishank accompanied Aahan in Lalitpur.
The three-member Indian boys team, featuring Fazal Meer, Tavish Pahwa and Kushagra Arora, won the South Asia Regional Qualifying Event, defeating Sri Lanka 3-0 and Pakistan 2-1 in the Play-off semifinal and final respectively.
Indian boys advanced to the play-off stage, winning all three of their league matches in Group-B. They beat Bangaladesh, Maldives and Bhutan by 3-0 identical margin. Irfaan Ahmed and Shivika Burman were captain for the Indian boys and girls teams respectively. ITF Referee Prabin Kumar Nayak, who is from Odisha, conducted the tournament.
FINAL STANDINGS:
Boys: 1. India, 2. Pakistan, 3. Sri Lanka, 4. Bangladesh, 5. Nepal, 6. Maldives, 7. Bhutan
Girls: 1. India, 2. Sri Lanka, 3. Maldives, 4. Nepal, 5. Bangladesh, 6. Bhutan
Singles rubbers played by Aahan: Beat Tandin Tsheyang Wangmo (Bhutan) 6-0, 6-0. Beat Naba Nishan (Maldives) 6-0, 6-1. Beat Shivali Gurung (Nepal) 6-0, 6-0. Beat Sandhithi Usgoda Archachi (Sri Lanka) 6-0 6-0.
Doubles rubber played by Aahan with Prachi Malik: Beat Sara Al Jasim and Humayrah Haider Zara (Bangladesh) 6-0, 6-0.
Doubles rubber played by Aahan with Anandita Upadhyay: Lost to Akeesha Silva and Sandhithi Usgoda Archachi (Sri Lanka) 4-6, 1-6.
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TOP: Odisha and India player Aahan poses with her gold medal in Nepal on 17 June 2022.
RIGHT: Indian girls team with Aahan (3rd from R) and ITF Referee Prabin Kumar Nayak (1st from R) after emerging champions on 17 June 2022.
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