Bangladesh Under-19 boys’ team defeated Sri Lanka to clinch the gold medal and emerge as group champions at the South Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships 2026 in India on Thursday.
With the triumph, Bangladesh also secured qualification for the 30th ITTF-ATTU Asian Youth Championship, scheduled to be held in Muscat, Oman from June 21 to 27.
The Bangladesh side comprised Abul Hasib, Nafiz Iqbal, Md Joy Islam and Tahmidur Rahman.
On the second day of competition in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, the Bangladesh team outplayed Sri Lanka 3-1 to top the group and confirm the gold medal. Although Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal each finished with five points in the group standings, Bangladesh claimed first place on superior set difference.
The tournament was held in challenging conditions, with matches played at an altitude of around 7,500 feet above sea level and in temperatures close to 10 degrees Celsius.
General secretary of the Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation, Captain AM Maksud Ahmed Sonnet, expressed his delight at the team’s achievement.
“This success is the result of the combined efforts of the players, coaches, officials, sponsors and the sports-friendly government,” he said. “Although the boys initially faced some difficulties adjusting to the altitude and weather conditions, they adapted quickly and performed brilliantly.”
Bangladesh have enjoyed consistent success in the age-group competition in recent years. The U-19 boys won gold at the inaugural South Asian Junior Championships in the Maldives in 2022. They secured silver medals in Arunachal, India in 2023 and in Kandy, Sri Lanka in 2024. The team also claimed a bronze medal in Kathmandu, Nepal last year.
The latest gold further underlines Bangladesh’s growing strength in youth table tennis at the regional level and sets the stage for their upcoming challenge at the Asian Youth Championship in Oman.