Success for team USA as the Junior Pan American Championships team claim success at the 2017 ITTF Argentina Junior Open ahead of the start of the Pan Am Junior Championships in Buenos Aires. With an impressive 6 of the 8 total semifinal spots occupied by American players, the event could have been labeled a success there. But there was gold on the horizon for USA.
Amy Wang would face off in the Girl's Singles Final with a tough opposition in first seed Bruna Takahashi from Brazil. Takahashi, currently ranked 24th in the world for junior and top 200 in the world for Women's would present challenges in the match but Amy Wang was able to overcome them. Taking a 2-0 lead in the match it looked like Amy was prepared to make a straight run for the finish line, two close games closed out both 11-9 but a firm focus on victory. It would be Takahashi who would swing the momentum in the match to claim the next 2 games and put the pressure back on Amy Wang to draw up the match at 2-2.
In her usual calm and collected style, Wang let the pressure slide on by and continued on her mission. taking the last two games 11-7, 11-4 and, along with her 4-2 win, a gold medal in the Junior Girls Singles Event. An outstanding result.
On the Boy's side it was Kanak Jha who had battled past teammate Sharon Alguetti, 4-2, to make the final. Victor Liu had narrowly lost out 4-3 to the Argentinian home favorite Fransisco Sanchi. It would be upon Kanak to seal his birthday wish and claim gold. He certainly showed no sign of stopping as he started the match and outplayed his opponent.
He was focused with only one goal in mind, a goal which he would succeed with a 4-0 win over Sanchi and a very special title indeed. On his 17th birthday it would be a World Junior Circuit Gold Medal for Kanak Jha, victory in the Junior Boy's Singles. Congratulations and Happy Birthday!
