Yuvraj wins U-13 title at Asian Junior Squash

The U-13 top seed turned an Asian champion and he could hardly hide his emotions. He beat his opponent, Anas Ali Shah of Pakistan, in four games. Yuvraj thus become the second Indian boy to win the U-13 title, Veer Chotrani had won in 2014 in Iran.

It was a moment of reckoning for the young lad from Mumbai, a 7th standard student of Bombay Scottish school, Mahim. It was not an easy win at all, not against a spirited opponent who was willing to try anything and everything to unsettle the Indian. Where Yuvraj stood out was his ability even under pressure to come up with some spectacular volleys to the corners or just above the tin.

Shah had advantage for much of the first game but the Indian managed to grab it. In the next game, Yuvraj virtually ran away. Shah returned stronger in the third, got his winners and forced Yuvraj to errors. Once Yuvraj even went sprawling on the court unable to reach an away ball.

But shrugging aside the incident and the loss, the Indian went about with purpose and in the end, he grabbed the point that mattered to win the title. For India that was the high point of the day, with Arnav Sareen, the other finalist, unable to carve a winning path in the U-15 section. The Pune boy was unable to come to terms against Mohammad Hamza Khan of Pakistan. Hamza was quick to the ball and packed a punch in his strokes which straight away stretched Sareen. Though he seemed in line to wriggle out in the second, unexpected ‘stroke calls’ went against him and the arrears soon became insurmountable. Sareen settled for the runner-up spot.

Results: Boys: U-19: Final: Abbas Zeb (PAK) bt Chung Yat Long (HK) 11-4, 11-3, 11-4; Bronze medal: Siow Yee Xian (MAS) and Tushar Shahani (IND)

U-17: Haris Qasim (PAK) bt Muhammad Amir Amirul Bin  Azar (MAS) 10-12, 8-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-9; Bronze medal: Daniel Nurhaqiem (MAS) and Nathan Kueh Tze Bing (MAS);

U-15: Mohammad Hamza Khan (PAK) bt Arnav Sareen (IND) 11-6, 11-9, 11-7; Bronze medal: Andrik Lim Kai Shan (MAS) and Joachim Chuah Han Wen (MAS)

U-13: Yuvraj Wadhwani (IND)  bt Anas Ali Shah (PAK) 13-11, 11-5, 6-11, 12-10; Bronze medal: Tam Tsz Shing (HK) and Sze Jun Him (HK)

Girls: U-19: Chan Yiwen (MAS) bt Lai Wen Li (MAS) 12-10,12-10, 11-2; Bronze medal: Ooi Kah Yan (MAS) and Cheng Nga Ching (HK)

U-17: Chan Sin Yuk (HK) bt Jessica Keng Jia Hui (MAS) 11-2, 12-10, 11-9; Bronze medal: Sanya Vats (IND) and Fung Ching Hei (HK)

U-15: Aira Azman (MAS) bt Yee Xin Ying (MAS) 11-9, 4-11, 11-8, 11-3; Bronze medal: Wong Po Yui Kirstie (HK) and Tse Yee Lam Toby (HK)

U-13: Leung Ka Huen (HK) bt Lee Sze Lok (HK) 11-3, 5-11, 11-5, 11-5; Bronze medal: Kavya Bansal (IND) and Tiana Parasrampuria (IND)