NAGPUR: Jennifer Varghese once again brought pride to the city by winning two medals at the World Table Tennis (WTT) Youth Contender tournament held in Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
While the Indian paddlers showcased their dominance throughout the tournament, 16-year-old Jennifer clinched the coveted U-19 mixed doubles gold medal and secured a commendable bronze in the U-17 girls singles category. Jennifer's stellar performance surpassed her previous achievement of twin bronze medals in Jordan, further cementing her status as a rising star in the table tennis community.
In an exhilarating all-India mixed doubles final, Jennifer partnered with Balamurugan Rajasekaran to claim a resounding straight-game 11-6, 11-3, 11-7 victory over compatriots Taneesha Kotecha and Jash Modi.
The semifinal match proved to be more challenging for Jennifer and Rajasekaran, as they faced a tough battle against another Indian duo, Sayali Wani and Sarth Mishra. After a hard-fought five-game match, Jennifer and Rajasekaran emerged victorious with a scoreline of 11-5, 10-12, 6-11, 11-8, 11-8. In the quarterfinals, they comfortably defeated the Egyptian pair of Badr Mostafa and Mariam Younes in straight games 13-11, 11-4, 11-9.
Jennifer's journey in the U-17 girls singles category was equally impressive, albeit tinged with a touch of heartbreak. In a nail-biting semifinal encounter, she succumbed to a narrow defeat against Syndrela Das, with scores of 6-11, 12-14, 8-11, ultimately securing a well-deserved bronze medal. Prior to the semifinal, Jennifer showcased her tenacity and skill in a thrilling quarterfinal match against Egypt's Farida Thabet, where the Nagpur paddler rallied to clinch the tie 7-11, 11-3, 12-14, 11-5, 11-5.
In the four-day WTT event, played in various age groups, Indian paddlers registered a podium finish in all the U-19 and U-15 categories on their way to bring a total of 27 medals.
