The Hindu : Sport / Table Tennis : Atheena is youngest State champion

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Nov 13, 2006
ePaper

Sport

Sport - Table Tennis

Atheena is youngest State champion

Principal Correspondent

KOCHI: Idukki's 14-year-old Atheena K. Latheef staved off a strong challenge from Thiruvananthapuram's Meenu Raj and lifted the women's singles trophy at the 55th State table tennis championship at the Rajiv Gandhi indoor stadium here on Sunday evening. She is the youngest Kerala champion in the last two decades.

"I just stopped chopping and used my topspin in the last four games," said the St Mary's HSS student, who is coached by G. Nanu at Moolamattom's Hydel Recreation Club, about her winning strategy.

Atheena had opted for a defensive approach, rather unsuccessfully, in the first three games. But she was smiling all the way after that.

Thiruvananthapuram's P. Adarsh retained the men's title.

Thrissur's Angelo Porathur and Kozhikode's Lakshmi Prabha bagged the junior boys and girls' titles, respectively.

The results (open events):

Men's singles final: Adarsh (Tvm) bt M.R. Rajeev (Tsr) 11-7, 14-12, 11-5, 11-8. Semifinals: Adarsh bt R. Rajesh (Tvm) 4-3; Rajeev bt Jais Stephen (Tvm) 4-0. .

Junior boys final: Angelo Porathur (Tsr) bt Shyam Narayan (Alp) 11-6, 11-2, 13-11, 8-11, 11-6. Semifinals: Angelo bt Vishnu Narayan (Alp) 4-3; Shyam bt Anwin Jose (Wyd) 4-0.

Women's singles final: Atheena K. Latheef (Idk) bt Meenu Raj (Tvm) 4-11, 10-12, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8. Semifinals: Atheena bt Chris Winnie James (Idk) 4-0; Meenu bt Anju K. Thomas (Tvm) 4-3.

Junior girls final: Lakshmi Prabha (Kzd) bt Atheena K. Latheef (Idk) 11-5, 11-7, 12-10, 11-8. Semifinals: Lakshmi bt Nice Olive James (Idk) 4-2; Atheena bt Chris Winnie James (Idk) 4-1.

Veteran men (above 40) final: Vijay Arjundas (Kzd) bt R. Balakrishnan (Idk) 11-7, 7-11, 11-2, 11-8.

Veteran men (above 50) final: Ismail (Ekm) bt N. Chandran (Tvm) 11-7, 11-7, 12-10.

Inter-district team events (finals):

Men: Thrissur bt Thiruvananthapuram 3-2.

Junior boys: Thrissur bt Thiruvananthapuram 3-1.

Women: Thiruvananthapuram bt Idukki 3-0.

Junior girls: Idukki bt Alappuzha 3-1.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport