Favourites India and Malaysia fulfilled their seedings in the Asian Junior Team Squash Championships, winning the men’s and women’s gold medals, respectively, in the 18th staging of the biennial regional event in Hong Kong.

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Velavan Senthilkumar, the reigning British Junior Open champion and Asian Individual Junior champion from Chennai, put India into the lead against second seeds Malaysia, the defending champions, in the men’s final – despatchingOng Sai Hung 12-10, 11-0, 11-2.

When Malaysian number two Darren Rahul Pragasam took a 2/0 lead in the second match, it looked as if a decider would be on the cards. But the plucky 18-year-old Indian Abhay Singh, also from Chennai, staged a mighty comeback – surviving a tie-break fourth game to record an impressive 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-6 victory to give the title to India.

It was India’s first triumph in the championships since winning the title for the first time in 2011 in Colombo, Sri Lanka.

Bright Smart Securities 18th Asian Junior Team Championship, Hong Kong China

Men’s Final:
[1] INDIA bt [2] MALAYSIA 2/0
Velavan Senthilkumar bt Ong Sai Hung 12-10, 11-0, 11-2
Abhay Singh bt Darren Rahul Pragasam 10-12, 7-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-6

Bronze medallists: Hong Kong China & Pakistan

Final positions: 5 Iran, 6 Republic of Korea, 7 Jordan, 8 Singapore, 9 Sri Lanka, 10 Japan, 11 Chinese Taipei, 12 Macau

Women’s Final:
[1] MALAYSIA bt [2] HONG KONG CHINA 2/0
Sivasangari Subramaniam bt Lui Hiu Lam 11-5, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5
Andrea Lee bt Cheng Nga Ching 11-9, 11-6, 11-13, 11-4

Bronze medallists: Japan & Singapore

Final positions: 5 Republic of Korea, 6 India, 7 Sri Lanka, 8 Chinese Taipei, 9 Macau

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