National TT: Delhi upset PSPB for women's title

Raipur - Delhi women’s team beat fancied Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) 3-1 for a title at the National Table Tennis Championships here Thursday.

The result in the men’s team final was on expected lines as PSPB defeated West Bengal 3-0 to extend their reign over the Barna-Bellack Cup for the eleventh consecutive time.

The women from Delhi was confident of winning Jayalakshmi Cup even before entering the show court with PSPB’s No.1 paddler Poulami Ghatak missing out the contest.

When Manika Batra and Neha Aggarwal put Delhi ahead 2-0, the writing on the wall was clear.

Delhi knew they would lose the third rubber to Shamini Kumaresan and between Manika and Neha they just had to win one match.

Fortunately for them, Olympian Ankita could not spare the blushes and surrendered meekly to Manika, allowing Delhi to take a firm grip over the final.

This was the second time in succession that PSPB women’s team floundered, having been cleaned up by Maharashtra A in the semi-finals at the Lucknow Nationals last year.

The men’s final was a mismatch. The PSPB could rest Sharath Kamal and yet blank out West Bengal. Soumyajit Ghosh got extended by Sourav Saha in the first game before settling into a nice rhythm to win in straight sets.

But Anthony Amalraj did not even allow that liberty to Sougatha Sarka and disposed him of quickly for a 2-0 lead. The experienced Soumyadeep Roy did drop his third game against Souvik Kar, but the result was never in doubt.

The Results (Team finals):

Men: PSPB bt West Bengal 3-0 (Soumyajit Ghosh bt Sourav Saha 12-10, 11-5, 11-8; A. Amalraj bt Sougatha Sarkar 11-5, 11-9, 11-5; Soumyadeep Roy bt Souvik Kar 11-3, 11-4, 5-11, 11-4.

Women: Delhi bt PSPB 3-1 (Manika Batra bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9; Neha Aggarwal bt Ankita Das 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9; Riti Shankar lost to K. Shamini 6-11, 6-11, 11-13; Manika Batra bt Ankita Das 15-13, 11-8, 11-2.