Jalandhar: Indian Audit A defeated Punjab A to win title in the final of the men’s 40+ category of the UTT 29th National Masters Table Tennis Championships at the PAP Indoor Stadium here today.
However, the win for IA&AD was simple and straightforward despite their star performer Abu Rizwan getting stretched by Punjab’s Vikas Mahajan. Kasturi Srivastava Chakravarthy also lost a game but made amends soon to score a 3-1 triumph over Vikram Aditya before Sikandar Jam beat Manish Bharadwaj for a similar score.
It was creditable that Punjab managed to stretch the title favourites. Yet, the hosts had to satisfy themselves with the silver medal.
Maharashtra A beat Maharashtra B to keep their title in the men’s 50+ category, but it was not before the latter took the matter to the deciding rubber. The A team won 3-2 because Manish Rawat won both his singles. Though he won his first tie against Prasad Naik 3-0, after Sameer Bhate lost the opener to Nitin Toshniwal 2-3, Manish faced stiff resistance from Nitin Toshniwal initially. But Manish pooh-poohed the threat to level the score after Atmaram Gangarde lost his tie to Naveen Salian. However, Sameer Bhate came strong in the decider to beat Prasad Nail 3-1 for the crown.
In another final clash between Maharashtra A and B teams, the A squad, helped by Anil Rasam, Sunil Babras and Sameer S Haldule, won 3-1 to claim the trophy. Rasam defeated Kapil Kumar 3-1, but Babras lost his tie to Sarosh N. Shroff badly. Shroff, who was 0-2 down, overcame Babras to win 3-2. But Sameer Haldule put them ahead again before Babras cleaned up Kapil Kumar with a straight games win.
With the state in mourning after the death of former Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, the organisers have put off the medal ceremonies to a later date as a mark of respect to the departed soul.
Results (Team):
Men’s 40+ Final: IA&AD bt Punjab A 3-0 (Aabu Rizwan bt Vikas Mahajan 11-5, 7-11, 9-11, 11-2, 12-10, Kasturi S Chakravarthy bt Vikram Aditya 11-4, 11-13, 11-7, 11-9, Sikandar Jam bt Manish Bharadwaj 11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6).
Semi-finals: IA&AD bt Bengal A 3-2 (Abu Rizwan bt Saumikdey Sarkar 11-8, 11-7, 11-4, Sikandar Jam lost to Koushikdey Sarkar 3-11, 11-13, 6-11, Katuri Chakravarthy bt Nilabja Ghosh 11-2, 11-1, 11-4, Abu Rizwan lost to Koushikdey Sarkar 11-6, 11-9, 10-12, 7-11, 8-11, Sikandar Jam bt Saumikdey Sarkar 11-7, 11-4, 11-9); Punjab bt Maharashtra A 11-4, 11-6, 11-7, Vikram Aditya bt Hari Jog Onkar 11-9, 13-11, 11-9, Manish Bharadwaj lost to Ashok Rana Suhas 6-11, 6-11, 11-7, 10-12, Vikas Mahajan lost to Hari Job Onkar 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 6-11, Aditya Vikram bt Santosh R Wakradkar 9-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-6).
Men’s 50+ Final: Maharashtra A bt Maharashtra B 3-2 (Sameer Bhate lost to Nitin Toshniwal 5-11, 11-9, 11-9, 8-`11, 11-13, Manish Rawat bt Prasad Nail 11-9, 11-5, 11-6, Atmaram Gangarde lost to Naveen Salian 12—14, 9-11, 9-11, Manish Rawat bt Nitin Toshniwal 10-12, 6-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-6, Sameer Bhate bt Prasad Nail 7-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-2).
Semi-finals: Maharashtra B bt IA&AD 3-0 (Naveen Salian bt JS Bisht 11-9, 11-7, 11-6, Nitin Toshniwal bt Santosh Khirwarkar 8-11, 11-7, 18-16, 12-10, Prasad Naik bt D. Surendranath 11-3, 9-11, 11-6, 11-7); Maharashtra Aa bt Punjab A 3-0 (Manish Rawata bt Rama Kank 11-3, 12-10, 11-4, Sameer Bhate bt Vijay Mohan 11-9, 11-9, 11-4, Atmaram Gangarde bt Ajay Thukral 11-6, 8-11, 11-3, 14-12).
Men’s 60+ Final: Maharashtra A bt Maharashtra B 3-1 (Anil Rasam bt Kapil Kumar 11-9, 8-11, 11-9, 11-6, Sunil Babras lost to Sarosh N. Shroff 11-6, 7-11, 11-9, 8-11, 10-12, Sameer S. Haldule bt Prafulla S. Wagh 11-6, 11-6, 11-8, Sunil Babras bt Kapil Kumar 12-10, 11-4, 11-7).
Semi-finals: Maharashtra A bt Bengal A 3-0 (Sunil Babras bt JS Patheja 11-7, 11-5, 11-8, Anil Rasam bt Subhamoy Chatterjee 11-8, 11=6- 12-10, Sameer S Haldule bt JS Pramanik 11-3, 11-5, 11-5); Maharashtra b bt Delhi A 3-0 (Kapil Kumar bt Anil Kumar Goel 11-6, 11-8, 12-10, Sarosh N. Shroff bt RK Sharma 7-11, 11-8, 12-10, 11-4, Pramod Desai bt Anuj Sharma 11-8, 12-10, 11-3).
Men’s 65+ Final: Maharashtra A bt Delhi A 3-2 (Prakash Kelkar bt Ashutosh Kumar 11-8, 11-4, 11-4, Jayant Kulkarni lost to Ravi Vashist 8-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-2, 9-11, Shivanand Kundaje bt Sunil Kumar Chawla 11-6, 11-5, 11-6, Prakash Kelkar lost to Ravi Vashist 6-11, 6-11, 8-11, Jayant Kulkarni bt Ashutosh Kumar 11-5, 12-10, 11-9).
Men’s 70+ Final: Maharashtra A bt Delhi A 3-0 (Yogesh Desai bt RK Sharma 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, Satish B. Kulkarni bt MS Chaudhari 11-8, 11-9, 11-8, Yogesh/Satish bt RK Sharma/MS Chaudhari 11-8, 11-2, 8-11, 11-7).
Women’s 50+ Final: Gujarat A bt Punjab A 3-0 (Sonal Joshi bt Ripu Daman 11-4, 5-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-3, Neha Patel bt Rajni Gupta 11-4, 11-9, 5-11, 11-3, Divya Pandya bt Reena Verma 11-9, 11-6, 11-2).
-TTFI
