KARACHI, July 10: Pakistan’s Abdul Rahim gave the hosts something to cheer about when he stormed into the boys’ junior Under-18 singles semi-final of Maymar South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship at Habib Public School on Thursday.

The highly-talented two-time former national junior champion Rahim finished second in the group after the round robin league contest.

Rahim finished second in group ‘B’ with two victories. He recovered to beat Pradip Roka of Nepal in four games 8-11, 11-01, 15-13, 11-6.

In a sterling performance earlier in the day, Rahim beat Buddhika of Sri Lanka with a 3-2 score line. Though the Nepali twice pulled to level the score, Rahim won the extended decider to chalk out an 11-8, 6-11, 12-10, 5-11, 14-12 win. Rahim, however, lost to Raj Mundal of India 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 11-8.

Meanwhile in the girls’ event, Sri Lanka’s Ishara/Tharindra pulled off a major surprise by beating the Indian duo of Pooja Vijay and Divya 11-4, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8 in Girls Under-18 doubles event.

The Indians, however, recovered to win the doubles title by beating Sri Lanka in the final.

India also won the boys under-18 doubles.

Following are the results:

Cadet U-15 Girls’ singles: Erandi Warusavithana (Sri Lanka) bt Sanisha Shrestha (Nepal) 11-6, 11-4, 11-2, Ankita Das (India) bt Iqra Saeed (Pakistan) 11-4,11-3, 11-4, Havindya De Silva (Sri Lanka) bt Sushma Bashnet (Nepal) 11-9, 11-3, 11-4, Charvi (India) bt Abeera Ali (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-7, 11-8. Iqra Saeed (Pakistan) bt Sushma Bashnet (Nepal) 12-10, 8-11, 11-4, 11-7, Abeera Ali (Pakistan) bt Sanisha (Nepal) 11-9, 11-5, 11-9, Charvi Rajkumar (India) bt Erandi Warusavithana (Sri Lanka) 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, Ankita Das (India) bt Chavindya (Sri Lanka) 11-6, 11-4, 11-6.

Cadet U-15 Boys’ singles: Hasintha Shashiranga (Sri Lanka) bt Biplov Adhikari (Nepal) 11-7, 11-2, 11-5, Sathiyan Gnansekaran (India bt Salman Virk (Pakistan) 11-8, 11-6, 11-9, Soumyajit (India) bt Abbas Ahmed (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-7, 11-8, Malith Dilusha (Sri Lanka) bt Bibek Shrestha (Nepal) 11-9, 10-12, 11-3, 11-6, Bibek Shreshta (Nepal) bt Abbas Ahmed (Pakistan) 11-6, 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, Salman Virk (Pakistan) bt Biplov Adhikari (Nepal) 11-6, 11-5, 11-2, Soumyajit (India) bt Malith Dilusha (Sri Lanka) 11-7,11-7, 11-7.

Junior U-18 Girls’ singles: Soumi Mondal (India) bt Ishara Madurangi (Sri Lanka) 11-5, 11-7, 11-4, Pooja Vijay (India) bt Tharindra (Sri Lanka) 12-10, 11-7, 11-6, Renuka Khatri (Nepal) bt Ayesha Khan (Pakistan) 11-6, 11-3, 11-9, Nabita Shrestha (Nepal) bt Maliha (Pakistan) 11-4, 11-3, 8-11, 11-3, Sathiyan Gnansekaran (India) bt Hasintha (Sri Lanka) 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 10-12, 11-5.

Junior U-18 boys’ singles: Salman Virk (Pakistan) bt Anish Shrestha (Nepal) 11-8, 11-6, 11-4, Raj Mondal (India) bt Buddhika (Sri Lanka) 11-9, 11-5, 10-12, 11-6, Abdul Rahim (Pakistan) bt Pradip Roka (Nepal) 8-11, 11-1, 15-13, 11-6, Shubham (India) bt Sahanaka (Sri Lanka) 7-11, 11-7, 11-2, 5-11, 13-11.

Junior U-18 boys’ doubles: Buddhika/Shanaka (Sri Lanka) bt Pradip/Sonu Gupta (Nepal) 13-11, 11-4, 5-11, 11-9, Shubham & Soumvajit (India) bt Rahim/Salman (Pakistan) 12-10, 11-6, 8-11, 11-5, Rahim/Salman (Pakistan) bt Pradip/Sonu Gupta (Nepal) 13-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-6, Shubham/Soumyajit (India) bt Buddhika/Shanaka (Sri Lanka) 9-11, 11-4, 13-11, 11-3.

Junior U-18 girls’ doubles: Pooja Vijay/Divya (India) bt Ayesha/Maliha (Pakistan) 11-5, 11-8, 8-11, 11-8, Nabita & Renuka (Nepal) bt Ishara/Tharindra (Sri Lanka) 11-13, 12-10, 11-8, 11-5. Nabita/Renuka (Nepal) bt Maliha/Ayesha (Pakistan) 11-8, 11-3, 11-7, Ishara/Tharindra (Sri Lanka) bt Pooja Vijay/Divya (India) 11-4, 11-6, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8.—APP