Syndrela Das and Rupam Sardar Triumph at WTT Youth Contender 2026 in Vadodara
Victorious Moments at WTT Youth Contender
Vadodara (Gujarat) [India], January 3: In an impressive display of skill, Syndrela Das and Rupam Sardar secured victories in the U-17 girls' and boys' singles events at the WTT Youth Contender 2026, held at the SAMA Indoor Sports Complex on Friday. Additionally, Divija Paul and Dev Pranav Bhat emerged as champions in the U-13 girls' and boys' categories, respectively, according to a recent announcement.
Syndrela, who previously claimed the U-19 girls' singles title last year, faced off against Hansini Mathan in the U-17 girls' final, winning with scores of 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, and 11-8. Meanwhile, Rupam Sardar triumphed over Soham Mukherjee in the boys' U-17 final, finishing with a scoreline of 11-8, 6-11, 11-5, 11-3.
This year's WTT Youth Contender marks the second consecutive year the event has taken place in Vadodara, featuring competitions across categories from U-11 to U-19, with a total of 226 participants.
In the U-13 finals, Divija Paul made a remarkable comeback from a 1-2 deficit to defeat Harshitha Nurani, winning 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-5. Dev Pranav Bhat also showcased his talent, securing the boys' title with an 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-4 victory over Ashvajith Muthukumaran.
Syndrela's journey to the final included a notable upset against second seed Miku Matsushima from Japan in the semi-finals. She started strong, dominating the first game, but Hansini, who had previously defeated top seed Divyanshi Bhowmick, found her rhythm and took the second game. Ultimately, Syndrela's experience shone through as she clinched the next two games to secure the championship.
Looking ahead, Syndrela will have the opportunity to compete for the U-19 mixed doubles title on Sunday, partnering with Sarthak Arya. They will face the top-seeded duo of Abhinandh Pradhivadhi and Ananya Muralidharan, who advanced to the finals after defeating Ritvik Gupta and Ahona Ray in the semi-finals.
Earlier in the tournament, Vivaan Dave and Naisha Rewaskar displayed remarkable resilience in the U-15 mixed doubles semi-final, overcoming top seeds Aditya Das and Ankolika Chakraborty in a thrilling match that went to extra points. They won with scores of 13-11, 5-11, 11-7, 5-11, and 23-21, setting up a final against Reyansh Jalan and Tanishka Kalbhairav, who triumphed over Sanjay Jagdish and Myraa Sangelkar.
Vivaan and Naisha's fighting spirit was evident from the start, as they rallied from a 5-8 deficit to win the opening game. The match was closely contested, with both pairs exchanging victories before reaching a nail-biting decider. Despite facing a 4-0 deficit and three match points against them, Vivaan and Naisha held their composure, saving those points and ultimately winning four consecutive points to secure their victory.