USA Finds Success at WTT Youth Contender Charleston

USA frequently found themselves at the podium while finding success at the World Table Tennis Youth Contender Charleston 2023 in West Virginia. 

The Youth Contender followed two days after the first ITTF Pan American Youth Championships in the United States. All warmed up from the Pan Am competition, the United States made a deep run in most of the WTT Youth Contender events capturing 30 medals — seven gold, nine silver, and fourteen bronze medals.

^{Singles – Sally Moyland (USA) and Giulia TAKAHASHI (BRA) U19 Girls’ gold and silver medalists at the WTT Youth Contender Charleston 2023 - Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center – West Virginia. August 4, 2023.}

Sally MOYLAND capitalized on her U19 and U17 finals appearances to win gold in the Girls’ Singles events. During the U19 final, a rematch of the Pan Am Juniors final earlier in the week, MOYLAND bested BRA Giulia TAKAHASHI through five games.

To secure the gold medal, MOYLAND was able to stave off a mid-match run by TAKAHAHI’. After dropping games two and three, MOYLAND climbed back into the match and held her ground until the final point winning at 3-2 (12-10, 5-11, 9-11, 11-5, and 11-7).

^{Singles – Sid Naresh (USA) U19 Boys’ Singles Finals at the WTT Youth Contender Charleston 2023 - Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center – West Virginia. August 4, 2023.}

The NARESH brothers brought home silver in U19 and U17 Boys Singles. Sid in U19 and Nandan in U17. The brothers ran into an unstoppable force in BRA Leonardo Kenzo IIZUKA. The Brazilian finished the youth contender by winning gold in the U19 and U17 Boys' Singles.

Taking silver in U15 Boys Singles for the United States was Stanley HSU in his bout with Brazil’s Davi Koji FUJII. To get into the final, HSU defeated FUJII’s talented young teammate Lucas ROMANSKI 3-1 (7-11, 12-10, 11-4, and 11-8) in the semifinals.

In an all-USA-studded final for U15 Girls’ Singles, Amber LIU was triumphant over Amy Zhang, a very skilled up-and-coming chopper out of California.

The U15 mixed doubles championship match was between PUR Valentina DAVILA/Enrique RIOS versus USA Alex LUO/Aria SHI. Midway through the matchup, momentum shifted in favor of DAVILA & RIOS. From then on, they never looked back and finished with the gold medal in four games.

The U13 and U11 WTT youth events were all-USA finals leading to gold and silver in all four Boys’ and Girls’ singles.

Maxim MOUCHINSKI was the gold medalist for U13 Boys Singles after defeating Kef NOORANI 3-2 (9-11, 11-8, 9-11, 13-11, and 11-9). For Girls Singles in the U13 event, Irene YEOH outlasted Abigail YU in five games. 

^{Doubles – Abigail Yu/Jaden Jia (USA) U15 Mixed Doubles R16 at the WTT Youth Contender Charleston 2023 - Charleston Coliseum and Convention Center – West Virginia. August 2, 2023.}

Jaden JIA claimed gold over Jacob KORDUS in four games to round out the U11 Boys’ Singles event. In U11 Girls' Singles, Abigail YU won gold over Angel HE in three straight games. Both U11 Singles gold medalists Jaden Jia & Abigail YU also made a great pair together while making it to the round of 16 together in the U15 Mixed Doubles.

See all results from WTT Youth Contender Charleston 2023.