Lucknow, December 29: No doubt, Uttar Pradesh table tennis had seen its ups and downs in recent times despite possessing talent, but the state paddlers have been unable to reach the medal podium in national events.

The just-concluded Cadet and Sub-Junior National Championships at Kolkata just wiped out that disappointment as the players proved that they are as good as any when they proved their capabilities with two individual medals and two team bronze medals.

What makes this upswing sweeter is that it has happened in the Cadet sections which means that the UP Table Tennis Association is moving in the right direction as we are trying to create a base for the future.

When Ambika Gupta felled Kavyasree Baskar of Tamil Nadu, several eyebrows were raised because the Tamil Nadu girl was the top-seed with two national ranking singles titles to her credit to this season. As if this was not enough, the southpaw paddler had a fetish for Tamil Nadu girls and accounted for another seeded player from the same state Sathvika V. Srinivasan. Ambika may have lost to Delhi’s Lakshita Narang in the final, but the UP girl’s silver medal was worth its weight.

Similarly, Divyansh Srivastava also won an individual bronze in Cadet Boys, losing to eventual singles silver medallist Payas Jain of Delhi. Indeed, Divyansh had a national ranking gold to his credit, but the loss to the Delhi player showed that the UP boy has some more way to go.

However, it was Divyansh who, along with Adarsh Srivastava and Satyam Giri Gupta, led the UP team to a bronze medal. It was no shame that the team went down to Petroleum Sports Promotion Board’s Academy at Ajmer. It is also another matter that PSPBA had to satisfy itself with the silver after having lost to Gujarat in the final.

But the Cadet Boy's yram Championships quarter final victory over West Bengal in hosts’ backyard was even more satisfying. That match between UP and West Bengal went down to the wire with the hosts fighting hard to keep their hopes alive. However, in the end, it was UP which turned the tables on West Bengal with Vibhor Garg winning the last rubber to enter the semifinals in a changed combination. In the Sub Junior Boy's Team Championships Qr. finals UP beat Haryana 3 - 1. 

In other words, UP’s table tennis graph is steadily going up and it augurs well for the state as it can now look forward to a winning habit that has begun at Kolkata.

UP won  1 Silver and 4 Bronze.

Silver          Ambika Gupta    Cadet Girls Singles
Bronze -        Adarsh Srivastava & Satyam Giri Gupta  Sub Junior Boy’s Doubles
Bronze          Divyansh Srivastava   Cadet Boy's Singles                                     
Bronze          Cadet Boy’s Team
Bronze         Sub Junior Boy’s Team