India qualifies for knockout phase

By S. R. Suryanarayan

CHENNAI, FEB 21: India qualified for the knockout phase in the girls section after its victory over Sri Lanka and Korea on the opening day of the team event competition in the Asian junior squash championship on Wednesday.

In the four-team group league, should India beat the other qualifier Hong Kong next, then it would top Pool `B' and play the runner up of Pool `A'. Malaysia and Singapore are the two qualifiers from Pool `A'. For host India it was a satisfactory start in its pursuit of a better performance than last time - fourth place in boys section and bronze winning third place in girls. India's immediate aim in the boys section also is to finish second in the pool league, the minimum requirement for qualifying to the next phase.

For the boys, the number one player Varun Kataruka was rested with Gaurav Nandrajog, Sahil Vora and Abhimanyu doing the job, winning the three singles. In the girls section, Vaidehi Reddy played along with Joshna Chinappa and Rachita Vora against Korea, a case of being abundantly cautious. Vaidehi was rested and Rhea Bhandare came in as the only change against Sri Lanka.

The results (Team events):

Boys: Pakistan bt Bangladesh 3-0 (Farrukh Zaman bt Md Delwar Hossain 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Arshad Iqbal Burki bt Sopon/Pare 9-0, 9-0, 9-1; Imran Mohib bt Masud Rana 9-1, 9-0, 9-0); Hong Kong bt Japan 3-0 (Dick Lau Siu Wai bt Yuji Tsuchiya 9-7, 9-4, 9-7; Michael Chiu Ho Ming bt Go Kobayashi 9-4, 9-2, 9-3; Patrick Choi Tung Yin bt Shunsuke Sugawara 9-0, 9-0, 9-0); Kuwait bt Korea 3-0 (Mohd Yaqoub Hajiyah bt Jeung Gyu Park 9-6, 9-6, 9-4; Zeyad Al-Owayesh bt Dong Woo Kim 9-2, 9-2, 9-0; Ahmed Fayez Marzouk bt Yong Min You 9-3, 9-0, 9- 1); Malaysia bt Bahrain 3-0 (Kelvin Ho Mun Kit bt Emad A. Hssain Mirza 9-1, 9-0, 9-0; Marcus Yeap Y-Choong bt Rashed Said Al Samahil 9-0, 9-2, 9-1; Won Kim Lee bt Eyad A. Hussain Mirza 9-0, 9-0, 9-1); India bt Jordon 3-0 (Gaurav Nandrajog bt Ala Harb 9-2, 9-4, 9-3; Sahil Vora bt Ali Tabballat 9-1, 9-2, 9-0; Abhimanyu Jain bt Bader Hijazi 9-6, 9-1, 9-2); Sri Lanka bt Singapore 3-0 (Navin Samarasinghe bt G Ong Yu Zhi 9-4, 9-4, 9- 0; Eranga Amaunagama bt G. Benson Seow Teng 9-2, 9-2, 9- 5; Jayanath Marambe bt Kwa Darius 9-4, 9-4, 9-2); Pakistan bt Japan 3-0 (Farrukh Zaman bt Go Kobayashi 9-0, 9- 9-2; Arshad Iqbal Burki bt Taro Sakamaki 9-1, 9-0, 9-2; Imran Mohib bt Shunsuke Sugawara 9-1, 9-0, 9-0); Korea bt Bangladesh 3-0 (Kong Woo Kim bt Md Dwlwar Hossain 9-2, 9-0, 9-5; Seung Jun Lee bt Sopon Parve 9-1, 9-0, 9-4; Yong Min You bt Dulal Uddin Rana 9-3, 9-1, 9-0).

Girls: India bt Sri Lanka 3-0 (Joshna Chinappa bt Rasansi Lankage 9-0, 9-0, 9-0; Rachita Vora bt Menusha Hettiarachchi 9-3, 9-1, 9- 2; Rhea Bhandare bt Madara Dayasiri 9-0, 9-1, 9-0); Hong Kong bt Korea 9-0 (Karen Lau Siu Ying bt Mi Na Park 9-2, 9-1, 9-2; Connie Choi Man Shan bt Eun Chan An 9-0, 9-0, 9-3; Natalie bt Mi Ran Kim 9-0, 9-2, 9-1); Singapore bt Japan 3-0 (Wong Hui Xian bt Eriko Chiba 9-0, 9-2, 9- 4; Tan Pei Qi bt Ayako Ozaki 10-8, 9-6, 8-10, 9-1; Koh Kar Yan bt Chika Yamamoto 9-1, 9-0, 9-2); India bt Korea 3-0 (Joshna Chinappa bt Mi Na Park 9-0, 9-1, 9-3; Vaidehi Reddy bt Eun Chan An 9-0, 9-2, 9-0; Rachita Vora bt Mi Ran Kim 9-0, 9- 0, 9- 0); Hong Kong bt Sri Lanka 3-0 (Karen Lau Siu Ying bt Raasansi Lankage 9-0, 9-0, 9-0, Frances Ho Mayee bt Menusha Hittiarachchi 9-0, 9-1, 9-2; Connie Choi Man Shan bt Tehani Guruge 9-3, 9-5, 9-1); Malaysia bt Japan 3-0 (Tricia Chuah bt Ayako Ozaki 9-0, 9-1, 9-0; Teng Ooiean bt Saturi Yamada 9-0, 9-0, 9-1; Sally Looi bt Chika Yamamoto 9-5, 9-0, 9-1.

Individual consolation event (final): Boys plate: Bader Ibrahim Al-Hussaini (Kuw) bt Yuji Tsuchiya (Jap) 9-1, 10-8, 9-3; Classic plate: Ahmed Fayez Marzouk (Kuw) bt Javin Samarassinghe (SL) 9-4, 8-10, 6-9, 9-6, 9- 2; Consolation plate: Mohd Hossein Sanaei (Irn) bt Taro Sakamaki 9-1, 9-4, 10-8. Girls plate: Natalie (HK) bt Eun Chan An (Kor) 9-6, 9-0, 9-2; Classic Plate: Frances Ho Mayee (HK) bt Connie Choi Man Shan (HK) 9-5, 9- 4, 10-8; Consolation plate: H Koh Karyan (Sng) bt Erico Chiba (Jap) 9-0, 9-5, 9-1.

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