Dikhyaa Mohanty 
The ITF Asian (Jr.) Championships Finals, which began on April 4th, came to an end today with Team Korea winning the overall competition. Korea’s Won Min Kim and Jiyun Oh were named the boys’ and girls’ Singles winners, respectively. The competition in Bhubaneswar, Odisha, featured the best junior tennis players in Asia competing against competitors from 14 different nations.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik attended the award event and gave the winners their medals. Tusharkanti Behera, the minister of sports and youth services, and OTA President Asit Tripathi also attended. The Chief Minister’s secretary, 5T V K Pandian, attended the concluding ceremony with him.
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik congratulated the victors and said, “It is a source of tremendous pride for our State to host this famous tennis event. Congratulations to all of the winners who prevailed in such a tough contest. We work hard to promote sports in Odisha, therefore I’m pleased to see so many competitors from other nations congregate in our state to compete. I have no doubt that this tournament will encourage a lot of young tennis players from Odisha and beyond to join the sport and follow their goals.
In appreciation for the assistance provided by the Government of Odisha for the competition, OTA President Asit Tripathy gave a souvenir to Chief Minister Patnaik on this occasion. Over 1000 students and athletes crowded the galleries to watch the fast-paced tennis play in the days preceding the final match, which demonstrated the excitement for the game and the prize ceremony.
Wonmin Kim, a tennis prodigy from Korea, says of their accomplishments: “I will always remember my experience, and I want to return soon for my next challenge. Winning my first event at this stadium is an amazing experience. The Korean tennis star Jiyun Oh expresses gratitude for her time spent at the tennis center: “We have been privileged to play some of the finest playoffs in this center, and the tournament has been very helpful for us to keep pushing our potential. We really anticipate returning to this court soon.
