Team Herald
sports@herald-goa.com
PANJIM: Goa’s talented young table tennis player Yug Prabhu clinched a bronze medal in the U-11 boys singles category at the prestigious UTT National Ranking Tournament, at the Manohar Parrikar Indoor Stadium, Navelim, recently.
Overcoming both physical challenges and a highly competitive field, 10-year-old Yug delivered an impressive performance, defeating Ankush Baliga (Karnataka) 3-0 in the Round of 32, Subham Adhikari (Bengal) 3-0 in the Round of 16, and narrowly overcoming Nirvesh Saikia (Assam) 3-2 in the quarter-finals.
His journey came to an end in the semi-finals against top seed Ariv Dutta (NCOE), where he faced a challenging 3-0 defeat. Yug, who is aided for his bilateral hearing disability, began training at just six years old and has since ascended to remarkable ranks both at the State and national levels. He is ranked number one in Goa and 5 in India in U-11 boys category.
Goa Table Tennis Association (GTTA) President Sudin Verenkar commented, “We have some promising young players who have immense talent and potential. Quite a few of them qualified in the Main Draw while Yug went on to win a medal for host Goa, a proud moment for our State. It's been a long wait and we are happy to have won a medal here in Goa”.
Echoing this sentiment, GTTA Joint Secretary Nilesh Kirtani added, “Yug’s journey reflects the immense potential of our young athletes when nurtured with guidance and opportunities. Yug has been working extremely hard, and his win is truly well deserved.”