Paddler Manav books Youth Olympics berth

Bangkok, May 8: Top seeded Manav Vikash Thakkar outclassed Shao Josh Chua of Singapore 4-0 in the final of a qualifying series of the Youth Olympic Games (YOG), slated to be held in Buenos Aires this October.

The junior world No.2 Indian TT player thrashed Chua 11-4, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9 in the final of the Road To Buenos Aires 2018 YOG Series (Asia).

Manav accounted for Jacobo Vahnish of Panama 4-0 in the quarter-finals after his first-round bye and went onto defeat Jordan's Khaled Khader, also with the same margin, to enter the final.

"A big monkey off my back," said a much-relieved Manav in an official release. "I had missed the bus on two earlier occasions but was determined to finish it off here," added the top seed.

He did admit with India's Italian head coach Massimo Costantini at hand to advise, things became rather easy. "The coach had flown in just this morning from Halmstad (Sweden) after the Team World Championships to guide me," said an elated Manav.

However, Archana Girish Kamath failed to seal a place for the Youth Olympics as she bowed out in the quarter-finals to Hungarian Fanni Harasztovich in a tough match 3-4. 

The Hungarian defeated the Indian 13-11, 8-11, 7-11, 6-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-5.

Archana had every chance to make progress in the quarter-finals when she comfortably led 3-2 and 10-8 in the sixth game. 

But with qualification in mind, she put herself under enormous pressure and it told upon the Bengaluru girl. Once her Hungarian rival deuced and then won 12-10, Archana surrendered meekly in the decider.