by Ian Marshall, ITTF Publications Editor
Defeat in the title deciding contest but Yanapong Panagitgun will also be seeking to repeat the success he enjoyed in Amman last year; at the semi-final stage he beat Qatar’s Mohammed Abdulwahhab, the player who had clinched the title in 2015.

Mohammed Abdulwahhab, the winner last year won in Morocco, is the fourth seed, being immediately below Egypt’s Youssef Abdel-Aziz and India’s Jeet Chandra.

Similar to Yanapong Panagitgun, Jeet Chandra has yet to win an ITTF World Junior Circuit Boys’ Singles title; his best being a quarter-final finish last year on home soil in Indore. Notably, similar to Mohammed Abdulwahhab, Youssef Abdel-Aziz has two such titles to his name; he won in Mauritius in 2015 and last year in his native Egypt.

A silver medal last year for the top seed in the Junior Boys’ Singles event, for the leading name in the Junior Girls’ Singles competition, Jinnipa Sawettabut, also from Thailand, in 2016 the colour was bronze.

However, in the ensuing Junior Girls’ Team competition, partnering Cathereeya Poungsri, the top step of the podium was reserved. Notably, at the semi-final stage of the Junior Girls’ Singles event, Jinnipa Sawettabut had experienced defeat at the hands of Chinese Taipei’s Fang Sih-Han, the champion elect. In the Junior Girls’ Team competition, she reversed the decision.

In 2017, Chinese Taipei could well provide the major challenge to the hopes of Jinnipa Sawettabut; Chien Tung-Chuan is the second seed. One year ago in Amman she was the runner up in the Cadet Girls’ Singles event, later the Cadet Girls’ Team winner in harness with colleague, Tsai Yu-Chin.

India’s Priyaka Pareek and Chinese Taipei’s Huang Yu-Jie complete the leading female names; both have yet to make their mark on the ITTF World Junior Circuit, in Amman an opportunity beckons.

Play commences with the Junior Boys’ Singles and Junior Girls’ Singles events; the finals of which will be played on Wednesday 26th July.