The week-long tournament, showcasing 623 young talents across 10 age categories, saw several thrilling contests, with Arihant and Anika capping it off in style.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Top seed Arihant, who displayed dominant form throughout the competition, defeated second seed Yusha Nafees of Uttar Pradesh 11-8, 12-10, 10-12, 11-5 in a keenly contested final between two of India\u2019s brightest junior prospects.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Both players were part of the Indian team that won bronze at the World Junior Team Championships in Egypt earlier this year, and their familiarity was reflected in the high-quality exchanges that kept the Chennai crowd engrossed.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Arihant held his nerve in crucial moments, especially in the second and fourth games, to clinch the title and underline his growing stature in junior squash.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
In the girls\u2019 Under-19 category, Maharashtra\u2019s Anika Dubey, a two-time U-15 national champion, completed a remarkable run by lifting the title after skipping the U-17 category to compete in the senior age group.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coming through the qualifiers, Anika upset higher-ranked opponents en route to the final before overcoming state-mate Akanksha Gupta 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 in straight games. Her aggressive play and composure under pressure proved decisive as she capped off a dominant campaign with her maiden U-19 national crown.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Among other notable results, Jharkhand\u2019s Aadya Budhia retained her U-15 girls\u2019 title, defeating Tamil Nadu\u2019s Goushika M 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 12-10 in a tightly fought four-game final. In the U-17 girls\u2019 category, Delhi\u2019s top seed Aradhya Porwal came from a game down to beat Chandigarh\u2019s Sehar Nayar 2-11, 11-4, 11-6, 11-6.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Coming through the qualifiers, Anika upset higher-ranked opponents en route to the final before overcoming state-mate Akanksha Gupta 11-5, 11-8, 11-8 in straight games. Her aggressive play and composure under pressure proved decisive as she capped off a dominant campaign with her maiden U-19 national crown.<\/p>\r\n\r\n
Rahul Ramachandran, vice president of the Tamil Nadu Squash Rackets Association, presented the trophies, while SRFI secretary-general Cyrus Poncha lauded the efforts of SAI, MYAS, SDAT, TNSRA, ISA, Dunlop, and the Centre of Sports Science for their support in successfully hosting the championships.<\/p>\r\n\r\n