CHENNAI: Nikkhil Mannath, Tamil Nadu’s number one ranked table tennis player, brought laurels to the country by winning World Youth Contender (WTT) Championship in Manama on Thursday.
Nikkhil beat Alexander Malov from Spain in the quarter-finals, (3-0)(11-6, 11-7, 11-9) in the U-17 boys singles. In the semi-finals,
Nikkhil beat Kim Ryeowin from Korea (3-1)(8-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-8). Nikkhil beat Leon Vlasov from Russia in the finals (3-0)( 14-12, 11-8, 11-6) to win the Gold.
Nikkhil currently trains at MST (Mylapore Sports Trust) under the guidance of Srinivasa Rao (Dronacharya Awardee) and Muralidhara Rao (National Coach - Team India) and Meenakshi (Coach).