New Names on ITTF Junior Circuit Roll of Honour

LAUSANNE (SUI), March 18, 2012: Iran’s Seyed Pourya OMRANI and Sweden’s Kristina ZETTERSTRÖM won the respective Junior Boys’ and Junior Girls’ Singles titles at the Iraq Junior and Cadet Open Championships, which concluded in the Kurdistan city of ulaimaniyah on Saturday 17th March 2012. It is for both players a new chapter in their careers, it is their first ever victory on the every growing and increasingly popular ITTF Junior Circuit.

In Sulaimaniyah both teenagers started proceedings as the favourites being the top seeds, both thoroughly justified that billing; at the final hurdle both recorded straight games victories against compatriots. Seyed Pourya OMRANI, 16 years old, beat Mohammadali ROUINTANESFAHANI (11-9, 13-11, 11-8, 11-9); whilst Kristina ZETTERSTRÖM accounted for Maria ENGELSON in a similarly impressive manner (11-4, 11-6, 11-6, 11-7). The Junior Girls’ Singles success gave 17 year old Kristina ZETTERSTRÖM a hat-trick of titles in a tournament that was dominated by Sweden.

Earlier in the proceedings she won the Junior Girls’ Team and Junior Girls’ Doubles titles with 16 year old Maria ENGELSON to become one of two Swedish players to collect three titles in Sulaimaniyah. Simon BERGLUND, 14 years old, won the Cadet Boys’ Team and Cadet Boys’ Doubles events with Hannes IWARSSON, before concluding matters by securing the Cadet Boys’ Singles crown. Three titles for Simon BERGLUND and two for compatriots Elias RANEFUR and Jonas STENER. They joined forces to win both the Junior Boys’ Team and Cadet Boys’ Team titles.

Meanwhile, for Iran there was success for the girls with 12 year old Fatemeh JAMALIFAR also collecting three titles. She won the Cadet Girls’ Singles title, after partnering Fatemehzahra MOKHTARRAZIAEI to Cadet Girls’ Team success and Narges YARI to Cadet Girls’ Doubles gold. Junior events (Under 18 years) are for players born on or after 1st January 1994, Cadet events (Under 15 years) for players born on or after 1st January 1997.

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