by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Manager

At the final hurdle he beat Belgium’s Laurens Devos, the top seed (11-13, 11-6, 11-1, 7-11, 11-9, 11-8), having at the semi-final stage accounted Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish, the no.4 seed (11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6) and one round earlier New Zealand’s Nathan Xu (11-5, 11-1, 11-4, 11-5).

In the opposite half of the draw, Laurens Devos had beaten Aditya Godhwani of the United States (11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 11-9, 11-8), prior to accounting for Jordan’s Khaled Khader (11-5, 12-10, 11-8, 5-11, 11-5).

Gold for Pang Yew En Koen, silver for Laurens Devos, in the Junior Boys’ Doubles event it was the reverse situation. Owen Cathcart and Laurens Devos clinched the top prize at the final expense of the combination formed by New Zealand’s Jonathan Li and Singapore’s Pang Yew En Koen (11-5, 11-2, 11-6).

A Junior Boys’ Singles semi-final exit for Jacobo Vahnish; in the Cadet Boys’ Singles event it was the top prize; at the final hurdle he beat China’s Sun Haoran to secure the highest step of the podium (11-5, 6-11, 11-7, 9-11, 11-8), having early beaten Aditya Godhwani of the United States (11-8, 10-12, 11-7, 11-7) and China’s Wang Hongxiang (11-3, 11-9, 11-3) to reserve his place in the final.

Impressive en route to the final, it had been the same for Sun Haoran; in the round of the last eight he had beaten Fiji’s Vicky Vu (11-3, 11-2, 11-5) and New Zealand’s Nathan Xu (11-6, 11-8, 12-10) to reserve his place in the final.

Bronze for Nathan Xu in the Cadet Boys’ Singles event, in the Cadet Boys’ Doubles it was gold, he partnered compatriot Park Sangyong to victory.

At the final hurdle the pair accounted for China’s Sun Haoran and Wang Hongxiang (8-11, 11-9, 14-12, 3-11, 11-9).