India wins eight medals at Slovenia Junior and Cadet Open

The Indians won three golds, three silvers and two bronzes at the Slovenia Junior and Cadet Open.

The Indian contingent at the Slovenia Junior and Cadet Open in Otocec.

India’s young paddlers won eight medals — three golds, three silvers and two bronzes — at the Slovenia Junior and Cadet Open in Otocec.

Seventeen-year-old Manav Thakkar, on the last day of the tournament, won the junior boys’ Singles, and junior boys’ doubles title with Manush Shah.  On Saturday, he had featured in India A’s upset defeat to India B as well in the Junior Boys’ Team event.

Jeho Himnakulhpuingheta (Cadet Boys’ singles) with a silver medal and Selena Selvakumar (Junior Girls’ singles) and the pair of Snehit S and Anukram Jain (Junior Boys’ doubles) with a bronze each were the other heroes for India on Sunday.

Manav overcame Japan’s Takeru Kashiwa in the final of the Junior Boy’s singles 4-0 (11-6, 11-3, 11-5, 11-6) to clinch the title. Jeho lost to Owen Cathcart in the final. Selena was just a game away from making it to the final in the Junior Girls’ Singles. After losing the first game 14-16 to Chin Yau Wong, she won the next three 11-3, 11-9, 11-8  to gain the upperhand. But she lost the next three (5-11, 9-11, 4-11) to miss a better a medal. Snehit and Anukram Jain, on the other hand, lost to the Indian pair of Manav and Manush Shah in the semis.