New Delhi: Playing with a splint to secure her broken right index finger, braveheart Natasha Chethan of Karnataka defied the odds (a la Rishabh Pant) to be the last one standing in the U-19 girls’ section of the inaugural Heyball National Championships, at the NSCI late on Tuesday evening.
Natasha, who broke her finger in a freak accident – hit by a bike while crossing the road -- while playing for India at the World Games in Chengdu, China, last week, emerged victorious in the final against Punjab’s Jiya Sehgal. The two were tied 4-4 after the 100-minute battle, and Natasha then potted the 8-ball from the spot twice in the best-of-five shootout for a 2-0 win.
“It was one heck of a win, a very unusual one,” Natasha said after her courageous effort. “I didn’t expect to emerge as the champion.”
The champion cueist from Bengaluru made light of the injury to lord over the field in the newest discipline in cue sports. For, she neither could grip the cue properly nor generate the power, especially in the break shots. “I couldn’t feel my cue in the right hand,” she said.
Having landed in the Capital directly from China, Natasha had to play with borrowed cues. The 17-year-old, the reigning IBSF World U-21 snooker champion, will now head home to consult a doctor and return for the women’s event in a couple of days, provided she gets the all-clear.
In the boys’ section, Aarav Sancheti of Maharashtra outplayed Karnataka’s Karan Seshadri 7-3 in the title clash. The duo had scored contrasting wins in the last-four stage. While the champion had to play out of skin to edge out A Abdul Saif of Tamil Nadu 7-6, Seshadri had an easier time against Vaibhav Chadha of Telangana 5-3.
Results: Boys: Final:
Aarav Sancheti (Mah) bt Karan Seshadri (Kar) 7-3.
Third-place playoff: Saif bt Chadha 5-4.
Semis: Sancheti bt A Abdul Saif (TN) 7-6; Seshadri bt Vaibhav Chadha (Tel) 5-3.
Quarters: Sancheti bt Muawiya Thakor (Guj) 5-3; Seshadri bt Jabez Naveen Kumar (TN) 5-3; Chadha bt Hira (Pun) 5-2; Saif bt Owais Khan (MP) 5-0.
Girls: Final: Natasha Chethan (Kar) bt Jiya Sehgal 4-4 (2-0).
Third-place playoff: Gianna Rego (Mah) bt Padmakshee (TN)
Semis: Natasha bt Gianna 7-4; Jiya bt Padmakshee 7-3.
Quarters: Natasha bt Afeefa Thabassam (TN) 5-2; Jiya bt L Shruthi (TN) 5-1; Gianna bt Aleina Khanna (Del) 5-0; Padmakshee bt PDSN Usha Jyothi (AP) 5-1.
Final ranking: Boys: 1. Aarav Sancheti; 2. Karan Seshadri; 3. A Abdul Saif; 4. Vaibhav Chadha; 5. Muawiya Thakor; 6. Jabez Naveen Kumar; 7. Hira; 8. Owais Khan.
Girls: 1. Natasha Chethan; 2. Jiya Sehgal; 3. Gianna Rego; 4. Padmakshee; 5. L Shruthi; 6. Afeefa Thabassam; 7. PDSN Usha Jyothi; 8. Aleina Khanna.
