Upbeat Indian TT teams leave for Tokyo world meet

 New Delhi, April 26, 2014: After having spent quality time at an “intensive” camp for a fortnight at NIS, Patiala, the 10-member Indian table tennis teams is upbeat about their performance at the Tokyo World Championships to be held between April 28 and May 5.

The men’s team comprises A. Sharath Kamal, Anthony Amalraj, Soumyajit Ghosh, Harmeet Desai and national champion Sanil Shetty, while K. Shamini, Madhurika Patkar, Manika Batra, Pooja Sahasrabudhe and national champion Ankita Das will form the women’s squad. They will be accompanied by foreign coach Peter Engel and national coach Bhawani Mukherjee.

The team, minus Sharath Kamal, will leave for Japan today evening from here while the Indian spearhead will join the squad at Tokyo from Germany.

Talking on the preparations for the worlds, the German coach said that the teams have a “very good” chance of putting up a better show this time around. “Both teams had finished at 27 in the last worlds (in 2012) in Germany and I am sure they will do still better at Tokyo,” said Engel, now a resident of Barcelona in Spain.

The coach spoke highly of the “young team” with the experienced Sharath Kamal taking charge. 

“I am really impressed with the way the boys, particularly Soumyajit Ghosh and Amalraj, have been preparing at the camp. Even Harmeet and Sanil have been in great form. I want them to translate this form into winning matches at the Japanese capital. I have watched Sharath in recent times and, believe me, he is in a great shape,” added Engel.  

As for the girls, he said there was a great “team spirit” among them, adding he had been working on their better movements on the court and at the table. “Our training, apart from covering the technical and tactical aspects, also included about several sessions on better movements. I see vast improvements and they will do them a world of good at the championships,” he said.

Praising on the physical fitness, Engel said that Madhurika had shed five kilos and it would help her perform better. “Physical and mental fitness are the two aspects we put our emphasis on and they have yielded results. You will see a different Shamini and a leaner Madhurika from now on. We have two first-timers too in Madhurika and Manika for the world meet. I am sure they will also do very well.”

Combing back to the chances at Tokyo, both Engel and Bhawani Mukherjee said that India had a very good chance. The men’s team is in a far easier group than the women’s who have a big hurdle in Turkey.

The men’s team in Group F is pitted against Italy, Iran, Argentina, Australia and Paraguay while the women’s squad, in group G, has Italy, Turkey, Nigeria, Portugal and Bulgaria—all part of the second division teams with India taking top perch in both sections. The team that leads the group will automatically qualify for the quarter-finals and get byes into the draw of 16. Two other teams, making the cut from each group, will play the second stage which is the pre-quarterfinals.

The men’s squad will open their campaign against Argentina on April 28 in the morning while the women will have wait till the evening for their opening match against Nigeria.

A TTFI Press release

Abhishek ensures bronze at Youth Games

Nanjing, August 19, 2013: Abhishek Yadav, playing a marathon fifth game, defeated Malaysia’s Dunley Foo to enter the semi-finals of the men’s singles, thus ensuring himself at least a bronze medal at the ongoing second Asian Youth Games here this morning.

The Indian disposed of Foo 4-1 (11-6, 11-5, 15-13, 5-11, 18-16) in 41 minutes, which included two games that stretched every sinew of the left-handed Yadav and tested his patience to no end. He will now meet the top-seeded Chinese Zhendong Fan in the semi-final later this evening. The Chinese beat Taipei’s Chia-Hung Sun in straight games.

With no play-off, both the losing semi-finalists will be awarded bronze medals.

“I am completely drained out. Two big games, particularly the last one, sapped my energy. But I held my nerve to go past him (Foo),” said Yadav. Asked about his opponent in semi-final, Yadav said he was wary of the Chinese. “I will play to my strength and let’s see,” he said.

Yadav had the measure of his rival in the first two games, but in the third from 9-7 allowed the Malaysian come back and level the score first at 9-9. From there, the see-saw battle continued with none giving a quarter to the other. For the first the Malaysian went 12-11 up before Yadav caught up with him to make 13-13. That was also the end of resistance from Foo as the Indian took the next two points to go 3-0 up, the fifth game taking full 10 minutes.

However, the Malaysian took the fourth to keep himself in the match. Then the real marathon began and Yadav, leading 6-4, in the fifth game allowed Foo take charge. He surged ahead to 10-8 but Yadav on his serve equalled the score to breathe easy. At 16-icture seemed gloomy for the Indian as Foo was not only returning well but was catching his rival on the wrong foot. Then came the turning point as Yadav served and returned well to go up 17-16 and waited to cash in on Foo’s mistake when he served next to take the game and match in 12 minutes.

Team manager Jayesh Acharya was happy for Abhishek. “It was a crucial game (fifth) and what impressed me was the way Abhishek won those crucial points,” said Acharya.  “We came to the Games with two paddlers and am happy we will not go empty-handed,” he remarked.

Press release

Mamta helps Maharashtra win women's crown; PSPB retain men's title

Lucknow, January 26: Mamta Prabhu, for the second day running, did the star turn for her team to lift the women’s crown in the 73rd Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships at the SAI sub-centre hall here on Thursday while Petroleum Sports Control Board (PSPB), led by Achanta Sharath Kamal, retained the men’s Barna-Bellack Cup.

Maharashtra A team thus became the first state outfit to win the Jayalakshmi Cup, beating North Bengal 3-2. But what was unique about the victory was the team spirit, as rightly projected by the chief protagonist, Mamta, after the deciding match.

Mamta was staring at the barrel, trailing 2-5 against the experienced Nandita Saha in the fourth game which the Maharashtrian had to win to keep her team in with some chance. Mamta not only levelled the score at 6-all, but also opened out with full determination to attack her opponent. That paid dividends and she wrapped the game 11-7.

And in the decider, she just went on a cruise mode taking a comfortable 3-0 lead to bring more pressure on her opponent. That was when Nandita cracked and with Maharastra team members straining their vocal chords with a huge support, Mamta simply walked away with an easy win in the fifth game to shut out any challenge from Nandita, who lost 11-8, 11-13, 11-9, 7-11, 8-11.

“I must give full credit to the team spiirt and I am happy I lived up to expectations,” said a beaming Mamta. “I knew before the game that I needed to win two of matches to have any chance for us to win the championships. I was prepared, but it was another day and I had simply put behind our team’s show yesterday and approached the matches today with an open mind. That helped me a lot,” said Mamta.

Indeed, the opportunity was great and Maharashtra grabbed it with both hands despite North Bengal’s Ankita Das playing her role to perfection, taking both her matches. Yet, Nandita had to win at least one match if North Bengal had to have any chance. A forlorn Nandita took it in her stride and complimented Maharashtra girls for the way they put up a great fight to win the title. “They played well and they deserved the trophy,” she said.

Earlier, Madhurika Patkar won her first singles against Nandita Saha while Divya Deshpande defeated Takeme Sarkar to give Maharashtra the edge they needed over North Bengal. The five-match rubber consumed nearlhy three hours.

As compared, the men’s final was a mis-match and it was over in just one hour with PSPB blanking out Tamil nadu 3-0. Sharath won 11-6, 11-7, 11-8 in double quick time against RS Raja while G Vinod streatched Amal Raj a bit before losing 5-11, 11-4, 8-11, 9-11. Soumyadeep Roy just toyed with Sivananda Seshadri winning the thrid singles in less than 15 minutes for the 11-9, 11-6, 12-10 verdict.

A Press release

PSPB boys and girls sweep all four singles titles

SILIGURI, JANUARY 8, 2012: When all four singles finals of the Indian Oil 73rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships have players representing the same unit, the only guess work that remains is who among the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) boys and girls, in the junior and youth sections, would wear the crown at the Municipal Corporation here on Sunday.

Expectedly, the PSPB academy boys and girls swept all titles on offer and the huge prize purses.

Andhra Pradesh’s Karnam Spoorthy who ran into Reeth Rishya of PSPB in the junior girls final had a chance of reversing it a bit. But despite playing her heart and soul out, she finished as the bride’s maid to Reeth.

The youth boys’ final looked to be a tame affair with Soumyajit Ghosh overhauling his PSPB mate G. Sathiyan 4-1 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9). Sathiyan saved five match points in a row but with Soumyajit’s serve on, Sathiyan returned wide. With the crowd, understandably, rooting for Soumyajit, Sathiyan was rendered clueless. His attacking posture also did not pay dividends as Soumyajit was returning well. By the time Sathiyan made a semblance of recovery in the fifth game, it was too late too little for the birthday boy.

The youth girls’ final between No. 1 Ankita Das and No. 6 Pooja Sahasrabudhe raised a new level with both not willing to yield even an inch. In the end Ankita, after several anxious moments throughout the game, won 4-3. She trailed Pooja 0-2 before taking the next three games on the trot. With Pooja level at 3-3 in the sixth game, the decider became more interesting as the match lasted nearly one and a half hours. 

The match between Reeth and Spoorthy had all the thrills of a final which Reeth won 4-3 amidst fluctuating fortunes when points changed hands as quickly as the two returned the ball to their opponent’s court. In the end, a nervous Spoorthy wilted under pressure after a fine recovery in the sixth game which she won 14-12 to level 3-3. But having to play the youth girls’ doubles final earlier, Spoorthy was definitely lacking in stamina while Reeth was fresh which stood her in good stead.

Earlier top-seed G Sathiyan outsmarted local favourite Raj Mondal, seeded four, 4-2 in the semifinals. Mondal was subdued to begin with, particularly when Sathiyan was unleashing his powerful smashes to lead 2-0. In the third, Sathiyan, despite leading 2-0 and then 5-1, let a small window of opening for Mondal to stage a recovery. But then Sathiyan stopped him before it was too late. Mondal had earlier knocked PSPB’s Harmeet Desai out in the quarterfinals.  Though ranked a slot above Desai at No. 4, Mondal created a record of sorts against his PSPB rival winning all his matches this season.

In other upsets of the day, No. 2 Sushmit Sriram of Tamil Nadu, No. 3 Manika Batra, who played with an injured leg, No. 4 Mallika Bhandarkar of Maharashtra A exited in the quarterfinals.

TTFI president Ajay Singh Chautala, who has been here to witness the matches for the last two days, gave away the cash prizes and medals to winners.

The Results:

JUNIOR BOYS: Final: (Singles): Abhishek Yadav bt Sudanshu Grover 4-2 (11-8, 6-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-3, 14-12. Semi-finals: Sudanshu Grover bt Anandaraj R 4-0 (11-4, 11-8, 11-6, 11-9), Abhishek Yadav bt Viveh Bhargava 4-0 (9-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-6, 11-4. Quarterfinals: Sudhanshu Grover (PSPBA) bt Lalrinpuia (PSPBA) 11-7, 11-5, 11-9, 11-4, Anandaraj R (TN) bt Utkarsh Gupta (Dli) 11-6, 12-10, 11-7, 11-9, Vivek Bhargava (PSPBA) bt Birdie Boro (PSPBA) 16-14, 6-11, 11-9, 11-13, 11-7, 11-3, Abhishek Yadav (PSPBA) bt Shubhankar Renavikar (Mah-A) 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, 11-6.

Doubles: Final: Sudanshu Grover/Abhishek Yadav bt Surojit Das/Vivek Bhargava 3-0 (11-7, 11-8, 11-8).

JUNIOR GIRLS: Final: (Singles): Reeth Rishya bt Karnam Spoorthy 4-3 (7-11, 11-7, 13-15, 11-4, 11-7, 12-14, 11-4. Semi-finals: Karnam Spoorthy bt Manika Batra 4-1 (11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 11-9, Reeth Rishya bt Mallika Bhandarkar 4-1 (11-2, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-6. Quarterfinals: Karnam Spoorthy (AP) bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (WB) 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 13-11, 11-7,  Manika Batra (PSPB) bt Narasimha Priya S (TN) 3-11, 11-3, 8-11, 11-6, 11-8, 11-7, Mallika Bhandarkar (Mah-A) bt Sagarika Mukherjee (NB) 11-6, 11-3, 9-11, 11-9, 11-4, Reeth Rishya (PSPB) bt Senhora D’Souza (Mah-A) 11-7, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 10-12, 11-3.

Doubles: Final: Sutirtha Mukherjee/Avhika Mukherjee bt Sumana Saha/Priyadarshini Das 3-0 (16-14, 11-7, 11-3).

YOUTH BOYS: Final: (Singles): Soumyajit Ghosh bt G. Sathiyan 4-1 (11-9, 11-5, 11-9, 11-13, 11-9).Semi-finals: Soumyajit Ghosh bt Sudanshu Grover 4-0 (1106, 11-9, 11-8, 11-4, G. Sathiyan bt Raj Mondal 4-2 (11-3, 11-6, 11-13, 8-11, 11-9, 15-13. Quarterfinals: Sathiyan G (PSPB) bt Prabhakaran E (TN) 6-11, 11-7, 11-6, 11-4, 5-11, 11-2, Raj Mondal (NB) bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 9-11, 11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, Soumyajit Ghosh (PSPB) bt Mohit Verma (PSPBA) 11-8, 11-8, 11-2, 11-7, Sudanshu Grover (PSPBA) bt  Sushmit Sriram (TN) 12-10, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 7-11, 8-11, 11-7.

Doubles: Final: Harmeet Desai/Soumyajit Ghosh bt G Sathiyan/Nitin V 3-0 (11-9, 12-10, 11-6).

YOUTH GIRLS: Final: (Singles): Ankita Das bt Pooja Sarasrabudhe 4-3 (5-11, 5-11, 11-3, 13-11, 11-6, 6-11, 11-8. Semi-finals:Ankita Das bt Reeth Rishya 4-0 (11-7, 11-9, 11-7, 11-5, Pooja Sarasrabudhe bt Nikhat Bhanu 4-2 (11-13, 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 11-3, 11-5. Quarterfinals: Ankita Das (PSPB) bt Karnam Spoorthy (AP) 11-5, 12-10, 11-6, 11-4, Reeth Rishya (PSPB) bt Mallika Bhandarkar (Mah-A) 11-6, 11-3, 7-11, 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, Pooja Sahasrabudhe (PSPB) bt Sheweta Parte (Mah-A) 11-2, 11-3, 11-4, 11-7, Nikhat Bhanu (AP) bt Manika Batra (PSPB) 11-7, 11-9, 12-10, 4-11, 11-5.

Doubles: Final: Ankita Das/Pooja Sahasrabudhie bt Karnam Spoorthy/ Nikhat Bhano 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-7).

TTFI Press Release

Top seeds justify their billings in Junior and Youth National TT

SILIGURI, JANUARY 7, 2012:  Top eight seeds in all sections justified their billing to sail into the pre-quarters of the Indian Oil 73rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships here at the Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium on Saturday. The domination of quality players in singles over those just making up the numbers through qualifications was evident once the latter joined the main draw to meet their fate. 

As for youth girls’ second round, Reeth Rishya, who is the top seed in junior girls, was made to sweat by Kerala’s unseeded Seraha Jacob before the PSPB girl winning it 3-2 (11-5, 3-11, 11-9, 4-11, 11-7). Incidentally, all of Seraha’s matches went to the wire. In the first round she beat Yukti Roshni of Tamil Nadu 12-10, 9-11, 16-18, 11-8, 14-12 while in the junior section, beat Gayatri Talavdekar 11-5, 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 11-5 in a fight that lasted nearly an hour and a half. Seraha, however, bowed out in the second round, going down tamely 5-11, 2-11, 5-11 to West Bengal ’s Oishwarya Deb.  

Though second round matches in youth boys section turned out to just a formality, some interest was in the round of 64 where Sanmay Paranjape of Maharashtra A struggled to beat Ravi Joshi of Gujarat 3-2, his teammate Shubhankar Renavikar overcame a strong Rohan Joshi from Madhya Pradesh, also winning at 3-2, Karnataka’s Shreyal Telang downed Delhi’s Utkarsh Gupta 12-10, 6-11, 14-12, 6-11, 11-5 and West Bengal’s Sayantan Dey defeated Zubin Taraporewalla of Maharashtra B 3-2.

Andhra’s Naina dropped a game in junior section but overcame a stubborn Jagruti Murbadkar of Maharashtra B to win 13-11, 11-7, 11-13, 11-5. The Andhra girl also accounted for PSPBA’s Anona Agarwal 11-5, 11-6, 11-6 to enter the round of 16. PSPB-A’s Dwijal Trivedi struggled before beating Haryana’s Gunkirat 11-5, 11-3, 7-11, 11-6 in the first round only to lose in the second to West Bengal’s Priyadarshani Das 14-12, 11-9, 5-11,8-11, 2-11. Gujarat ’s Frenaz Chipia overcame Andhra’s Akshi Sancheti 11-8, 8-11, 14-12, 13-15, 11-9.

In comparison, the junior boys’ matches had some elements of surprises when lesser-known players extended their better-known rivals, with the fancied players winning 3-1 in most cases. However, West Bengal ’s Pathikrit Roy had to fight his way back to move ahead with 11-7, 6-11, 11-3, 10-12, 11-4 victory against Karnataka’s Vedanth M Urs. So did Ravindra Kotiyan of Maharashtra -A against Shivam Singh for an 11-7, 3-11, 13-11, 10-12, 11-7 verdict. But the two were stopped in the second round by their opponents.

PSPBA’s Surojit Das had to play his best in the second round to outsmart a determined Asif Haque of Orissa. Das won 11-9, 10-12, 5-11, 11-8, 12-10. Teammate Birdie Boro allowed Bhavesh Apte of Chandigarh one game before wrapping it up 11-6, 5-11, 11-7, 13-12 and Nishaad Shah of Maharashtra B trounced KR Rohit of Tamil Nadu 11-9, 10-12, 12-14, 12-10, 11-7. Delhi ’s Sabhaya Virmani lost to West Bengal ’s Anirban Ghosh 11-8, 13-11, 2-11, 9-11, 9-11 after leading 2-0. But there was no upset of sorts in the second-round games.

TTFI release

Qualifiers sweat it out as individual events begin

SILIGURI, JANUARY 6, 2012:  With the top eight paddlers in boys and girls sections getting a direct placement in the main draw, the field on the opening day of the individual events in the Indian Oil 73rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships here at the Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium was left open to the qualifiers.

Without a doubt, all paddlers engaged in the qualifiers were sweating it out having to play two rounds on Friday. In fact, some of the juniors were also taking part in the Youth section with valuable ranking points as well as handsome prize money at stake.

With so many participants the groupings have touched a new high—youth boys divided into 50 groups and girls 40 groups while in the junior boys and girls sections, it is 48 and 46 groups, respectively. So each one of them playing the qualifiers knows of the task ahead of him or her as only those who top the group will be able to enter the main draw.

Of course, there were some the well-known paddlers who by virtue of their lower rankings had to play the qualifiers. But all of them had cakewalks into the second round while a few have already made it to the main draw. The others, who have their matches late in the evening, should do so barring a hiccup or two. That is in the realm of possibility but then the fancied ones will have to play really bad to lose sight of the target.

As for the top eights in all categories, it was a day to give their already tired limbs some much-needed rest after the grueling sessions of play during the first three days of the team events. They should enjoy the rest day and recharge their batteries to come afresh and unleash their onslaughts on their opponents in the main draw which commences Saturday morning. 

TTFI Press Release

PSPB boys and girls reign supreme in Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships

SILIGURI, JANUARY 5, 2012:  It was a triple delight for the Petroleum Sports Board (PSPB) boys and girls as they won three of the four team titles that were decided on Thursday in the 73rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships at the Municipal Corporation Stadium here.

West Bengal had a consolation prize in the form of junior girls’ title after pounding Tamil Nadu 3-0. Hosts North Bengal girls, who famously upset holders Andhra Pradesh late Wednesday night, could not sustain the onslaught of their bitter rivals West Bengal .

But the story of the day was the determination and perseverance shown by PSPB paddlers who, without exception, wore out their opponents with crisp shots off both back and fore hands and great smashes. They made simple and straight forward in all the finals to blank out their opponents.

In the Youth boys final, Harmeet Desai beat Maharashtra A’s Noel Pinto in straight games while Soumyajit Ghosh followed suit with his sharp play against Sanmay Paranjape 12-10, 11-8, 11-8 and G. Sathiyan just dismissed Subhankar Renavikar 11-6, 12-10, 11-4. The Youth girls title went to PSPB as Manika Batra, Ankita Das and Pooja proved too hot for West Bengal ’s Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sutirtha Mukherjee and Supsa Bhattacharya.  PSPB won 3-0.

In the final of the Junior boys, Sudanshu Grover Abhishek Yadav were too brutal against their Delhi opponents Peeyush Prasad and Utkarsh Gupta. Utkarsh, however, tried to make a match of it by taking a game off left-hander Abhishek but the latter proved too tough a nut to crack with his whipping forehand kills. Then the PSPB duo combined to outsmart Abhishek Jaggi and Prakhar Bhatt in the doubles to take the crown.

But what sent some shocking waves was the way the Tamil Nadu junior girls capitulated against determined West Bengal paddlers. Tamil Nadu’s No. 1 Narasimha Priya was the lone player who managed to put Ayhika Mukherjee under some pressure. But the West Bengal girl was up to the tricks to win 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9. Sutirtha Mukherjee defeated Yukti Roshni in straight games of 13-11, 11-7, 11-6 and after t hat Sutirtha and Ayhika combined to beat Narasimha Priya and Amrutha Pushkar in straight games to win reclaim the crown.

RESULTS:

Junior Boys (Final): PSPB-A bt Delhi 3-0 (Sudanshu Grover bt Peeyush Prasad 14-12, 11-9, 11-9, Abhishek Yadav bt Utkarsh Gupta 11-6, 9-11, 11-6, 16-14, Sudanshu/Abhishek bt Abishek Jaggi/Prakhar Bhatt 11-6, 11-3, 11-6; SEMI-FINALS: PSPB-A bt West Bengal 3-0 (Sudanshu Grover bt Anirban Ghosh 13-11, 11-4, 11-5, Abhishek Yadav bt Pathikrit Roy 9-11, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10, 14-12, Sudanshu/Abhishek bt Anirban/Pathikrit 11-7, 12-10, 11-6; Delhi bt Rajasthan 3-0 (Peeyush Prasad bt Shubham Ojha 11-9, 11-2, 11-9, Utkarsh Gupta bt Ved Vyas 11-5, 8-11, 13-11, 11-5, Utkarsh/Abhishek Jaggi bt Shubham/Ved Vyas 11-5, 11-7, 13-11.

Junior Girls (Final): West Bengal bt Tamil Nadu 3-0 (Ayhika Mukherjee bt Narsimha Praya S 11-9, 11-9, 10-12, 11-9, Suthrtha Mukherjee bt Yukti Roshni 13-11, 11-7, 11-6, Ayhika/Suthrtha bt Narasimha Priya/Amrutha Pushpak 11-7, 11-5, 11-9; SEMIFINALS: West Bengal bt North Bengal 3-0 (Ayhika Mukherjee bt Anuska Dutta 11-0, 11-6, 11-9, Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Oishwarya Deb 11-8, 2-11, 11-6, 10-12, 11-3, Sutirtha/Ayhika bt Anuska/Oishwarya 12-10, 11-4, 11-7; Tamil Nadu bt Maharashtra- A 3-0 (Yuki Roshni bt Mallika Bhandarkar 11-6, 6-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-8, Narasimha Priya bt Senhora D’Souza 11-8, 12-10, 5-11, 3-11, 11-6, Narasimha Priya/Amruta Pushpak bt Mallika Bhandarkar/Rutuja Kopkar 14-16, 11-7, 11-8, 13-1.

Youth Boys (Final): PSPB bt Maharashtra -A 3-0 (Harmeet Desai bt Noel Pinto 11-7, 12-10, 11-8, Soumyajit Ghosh bt Sanmay paranjpae 12-10, 11-8, 11-8, G. Sathiyan bt Shubhankar Renavikar 11-6, 12-10, 11-4;  SEMIFINALS: PSPB bt West Bengal 3-0 (Harmeet Desai bt Susovan Das 11-5, 11-5, 11-8, Soumyajit Ghosh bt Souvik Kar 12-10, 11-9, 11-8, G. Sathyan bt Snehamoy Mallick 11-7, 11-4, 11-6; Maharashtra A bt Delhi 3-1 (Noel Pinto bt Sarthak Gandhi 3-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-4, 11-7, Sanmay Paranjape bt Pranshu Gupta 11-7, 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, Su\bhubhankar Renavikar lost to Utkarsh Gupta 9-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 9-11, Sanmay Paranjape bt Sarthak Gandhi 11-7, 11-7, 11-9.

Youth Girls (Final): PSPB bt West Bengal 3-0 (Manika Batra bt Krittwika Sinha Roy 11-9, 11-9, 11-7, Ankita Das bt Sutirtha Mukherjee 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-5, Pooja bt Rupsa Bhattacharya 11-8, 11-9, 11-5; SEMIFINALS: PSPB bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0 (Ankita Das bt Karnam Spoorthy 11-7, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10, Pooja Saharabudhe bt Nikhat Bhanu 11-8, 11-13, 12-10, 7-11, 12-10, Manika Batra bt Naina 11-7, 11-9, 11-9;  West Bengal bt Tamil Nadu 3-1 (Krittwika S Roy bt Sumana R Krishnan 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 2-11, 11-5, Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Vidya N 11-9, 11-6, 12-10, Srey Ghosh lost to Narasimha Priya 13-11, 11-6, 5-11, 6-11, 9-11, Suthrtha Mukherjee bt Sumana R Krishnan 17-15, 11-3, 11-4.

TTFI Press Release

Top teams move into quarterfinals of Junior and Youth National Table Tennis championships

Siliguri, January 4, 2012: All big teams, including those favoured to win titles, made short work of their opponents in the team events of the Indian Oil 73rd Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships, reaching the quarterfinals here at the Municipal Corporation Indoor Stadium on Wednesday evening.

Except for a couple of matches in each of the youth and junior sections, boys and girls included, the rest of the matches were completely a one-sided affair with the favourites making the grade without a whimper, winning their matches 3-0. 

In the youth boys' section, there were no surprises as holders Tamil Nadu mowed down Assam 3-0, Delhi beat Uttar Pradesh 3-0, North Bengal downed Chattisgarh 3-0, Maharashtra A beat Haryana 3-0, PSPB accounted for Orissa 3-0, Gujarat defeated Punjab 3-0 and Karnataka overcame Maharashtra B 3-1.

As for the youth girls, Kerala took a game off holders Maharashtra A despite the latter having Mallika Bhandarkar, India No. 3 in their ranks. In fact, it was she who had to bail out her team, winning both her singles. Madhya Pradesh too managed to push Andhra Pradesh a little bit but the latter won 3-1.

In other pre-quarterfinal matches, Tamil Nadu beat Pondicherry 3-0, West Bengal downed  Assam 3-0, Gujarat defeated Orissa 3-0, Maharashtra B blanked out Punjab 3-0, North Bengal scored a 3-0 win over Goa and PSPB downed Delhi 3-0.

In junior boys, holders PSPB-A blanked out Orisssa 3-0, Maharashtra A beat Karnataka 3-0, Gujarat accounted for Maharashtra B 3-0, West Bengal downed Goa 3-0, North Bengal defeated Andhra Pradesh 3-0, Rajasthan overcame Uttar Pradesh 3-1, Delhi beat Punjab 3-0 and Tamil Nadu managed a 3-1 verdict against Assam.

In junior girls, Gujarat struggle to go past Jharkhand 3-2, while Punjab managed to take a game off holders Andhra, who won 3-1, hosts North Bengal accounted for Maharashtra B 3-0, West Bengal downed Kerala 3-0, Delhi won over Karnataka 3-1, Tamil Nadu beat Madhya Pradesh 3-0, Maharashtra A defeated Orissa 3-0 and PSPB-A accounted for Uttar Pradesh 3-0.

A TTFI Press Release

Boro, Suamana are Sub-Junior National TT champs

Kochi, December 13, 2011: Birdie Boro of the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB-A) emerged the champion in the sub-junior boys’ section beating Anirban Ghosh 4-3 (7-11, 7-11,11-6, 9-11, 11-5, 12-10,11-5) while it was West Begal’s Sumana Saha outlasted her statemate and unseeded Moumita Das 4-1 (11-4, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4) to take the girls’ crown at the New Assurance 73 rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National Table Tennis Championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here today.

The winners took a cheque of Rs 26,000 and Rs. 22,000, respectively, while the runners-up took home Rs 13,000 (Boys) and Rs 11,000 (girls) sections, respectively. But more than the money, the winners earned some vital points which should help them go up the ladder in future meets.

As was to be expected, the boys’ singles final had all the ingredients and befittingly the better player from PSPB-A won at the end of the day. But it must be said to the credit of Boro who, after being down 2-1 at one stage and again 3-2, showed grit to stage a remarkable comeback and win the last three games.

Employing great attacking shots and using both back and forehand smashes to greater effect, West Bengal’s Ghosh began in great style. With his No. 1 seed and taller PSPB-A opponent losing rhythm, Ghosh went about his way smashing everything that was within and without his reach to move ahead. In between, Boro managed to take game of Ghosh to stay afloat. But in the fourth game, it was Ghosh who after taking a sizeable lead shut Boro out with a forehand close-to-the-table smash to go 3-1 up.

It was at this juncture that Boro regrouped himself well and seeing his opponent tiring, thanks to hot and humid conditions inside the hall, went into cruise mode to take the next two games to level the score at 3-3. Once pushed to the brink, it was up to Boro to show his true attacking colours and he succeeded in spite of making a couple of unforced errors in the decider. Nevertheless, Ghosh too was unable to withstand the onslaught and wilted under pressure, often unable to put the ball beyond the net. That gave several crucial points to Boro who simply smashed his way to the title.

Boro, understandably, was relieved after winning against Ghosh. “I had at the back of my mind the loss we suffered in the team championships because of Anirban. I had to set the record straight and I am happy I did exactly that,” said Boro after winning the title.

As for the girls final, it was a foregone conclusion that the No. 7 seed Saha would win. But it was a question of whether or not Moumita will be able to take a game or two off her friend at home and a bitterest rival on court. Das did manage to take a game off her rival but before she could gain any ascendancy, Saha stuck to her task and took the crown.

The Results: Sub-junior Boys: Final:Birdie Boro (PSPB-A ) bt Anirban Ghosh (WB) 7-11, 7-11,11-6, 9-11, 11-5. 12-10,11-5; Semi-finals: Birdie Boro (PSPB-A) bt Arjun Ghosh (WB) 11-7, 7-11, 12-10, 7011, 10-12, 11-8, 11-2; Anirban Gosh (WB) bt Ayush Tayal (Har) 11-9, 11-8, 9-11, 11-4, 11-7; Quarterfinals: Anirban Ghosh (WB) bt Lalrin Puia (PSPB-A) 11-2, 11-8, 12-14, 11-6, 11-9; Arjun Ghosh (WB) bt Lalhun Lua (PSPB-A) 11-3, 11-8, 11-7, 11-5; Ayush Tayal (Har) bt Manav Thakkar (Guj) 11-7, 11-4, 7-11, 11-9, 11-1; Birdie Boro (PSPB-A) bt Ananth D (TN) 11-9, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 9-11, 11-7.

Sub-junior Girls: Final: Sumana Saha (WB) bt. Moumita Dutta (WB) 11-4, 13-11, 7-11, 11-2, 11-4; Semi-finals: Moumita Das (WB) bt Priyadarshini Das (WB) 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 12-10, 15-13, 11-5; Sumana Saha (WB) bt Harsha Vardhani (TN) 4-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-5, 11-8; Quarterfinals: Priyadarshini Das (WB) bt Varuni Jaiswal (AP) 10-12, 6-11, 11-6, 9-11, 17-15, 11-4. 11-7; Moumita Dutta (WB) bt Johita Banerjee (WB) 11-8, 9-11, 11-6, 3-11, 11-9, 11-5; Harsha Vardhini (TN) bt Koushani Nath (WB) 9-11, 11-6, 12-10, 12-10, 12-10, 11-6; Sumana Saha (WB) bt Sagorika Mukherjee (WB) 11-8, 11-6, 11-7, 11-9.

A TTFI Press Release

Akash, Koushani bag Cadet National TT titles

Kochi, December 12, 2011: When two North Bengal players meet in the final of the Cadet boys, one wins while the other loses. But what was typical of the final at the New Assurance 73 rd Cadet and Sub-junior National Table Tennis Championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Monday was how not to yield even an inch in a final where the stakes are too high.

To begin with, the winner gets double ranking points and handsome prize money of Rs 18,000. So is the case with Cadet girls, except that the winner receives Rs 15,000 as prize purse.

Hence, it was not a surprise that North Bengal’s Akash Nath, though got stretched as was to be expected, accounted for state mate Gogoi to win 4-1 in the best of seven-games final 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7. Akash struggled to start with and managed to take the first game at 11-9. His friend and state mate Gogoi tried to make a comeback and squeezed out a couple of points to go ahead at one stage in the second game. However, Akash stopped him at 9 to put himself in a comfortable position.

But then Gogoi took the next at 7-11 to put some doubts in Akash. The latter, however, didn’t give any more allowance as he took the next two in quick time to claim the title. Akash was too happy to win the title but felt sorry for his friend. “Gogoi fought really well but the final game was where I sealed the match in my favour,” he said.

As for the Cadet girls final, the match was devoid of any thrills despite an early scare from the Tamil Nadu girl Selena, who equalled the score after conceding the first game to her West Bengal rival Koushani Mukherjee. But Koushani was too good for Selena as she quickly assessed the situation with a vociferous support emerging for her from the galleries. Koushani simply shut out Selana to take the crown at 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-2.

After the win, Koushani gave credit to her Tamil Nadu rival and talked on the slow game that Selana played. “I got used to the slow game of my opponent and accordingly adjusted my game,” she said. Selena too praised her rival and gave full credit for the way she played.

The sub-junior boys and girls quarterfinals will be played later tonight and the semifinals and finals are slated for tomorrow.

The results:

Cadet Boys: Final: Akash Nath (NB) bt ZK Gogoi (NB) 11-9, 11-9, 7-11, 11-4, 11-7; Semifinals: Akash Nath (NB) bt SFR Snehit (AP) 11-5, 11-3, 11-4, 11-5; ZK Gogoi (NB) ZK Gogoi bt Sarthak Seth (UP) 11-5, 11-9, 11-9, 11-8; Quarter-finals: Akash Nath (NB) bt Ashwin Subramanian (Mah-A) 11-5, 11-9, 11-4; SFR Snehit (AP) bt Parth Virmani (Dli) 2-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8; ZK Gogoi (NB) bt Jeet Chandra (WB) 6-11, 11-6, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6; Sarathak Seth (UP) bt Manav Thakkar (Guj) 8-11, 11-7, 4-11, 11-9, 11-9.

Cadet Girls: Final: Koushani Nath (WB) bt Selena Deepthi S (TN) 11-8, 9-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-2; Semifinals: Koushani Nath (WB) bt Priyanka Pareek (Raj) 4-11, 13-11, 11-5, 14-12, 11-6; Selena Deepthi S (TN) bt Varuni Jaiswal (AP) 11-7, 11-7, 11-2, 11-9; Quarterfinals: Koushani Nath (WB) Shrushti Haleangadi (Mah-A) 12-10, 11-9, 11-8; Priyanka Parek (Guj) bt Ritika Kundu (Jkd) 6-11, 11-9, 14-16, 11-7, 14-12; Selena Depthi S (TN) bt Urmila Mense (Goa) 11-6, 11-3, 11-6; Varuni Jaiswal (AP) bt Moumita Dutta (WB)13-11, 11-7, 11-6.

A TTFI Press Release

Easy victories for top-ranked players

Kochi, December 11, 2011: The top-ranked players in all categories had very little difficulty in putting it across their opponents in the first two rounds of the New India Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-junior National Table Tennis Championships here at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium on Saturday.

There were, however, some surprises as some of the additional entries—not selected directly by the state associations—made waves and gave some harrowing time for the much-famed names in the Cadet and sub-boys junior sections. Even the girls’ events in both the categories had a few long-drawn matches going to the wire.

For instance, the match between Delhi’s Aryan Khandelwal and Rishab Sachdeva of Haryana went to the wire and the Haryana boy clinched it in his favour with a 13-11, 13-11, 11-3, 11-2, 11-5 verdict. Manipur’s L. Poireiton extended Vishnu Pranav of Karnataka before bowing out 5-11, 7-11, 18-16, 13-11, 4-11. Kerala’s Majrul Islam lost his first round match to Shobhit Dangwal of Uttrakhand after putting up a great resistance. The Uttrakhand boy ultimately won 11-6, 3-11, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7.

The boys from Gujarat, Tamil Nadu and the PSPBA did exceedingly well to keeping their top billing while the girls from Rajasthan, Maharashtra B and Andhra Pradesh kept momentum going their way. In fact, the Cadet girls’ matches were mostly one-sided except for a few that went to the fourth game. Two of Gujarat girls were stretched fully with their opponents giving a good fight. Gujarat’s Isha Maisuria met her match against Manipur’s Priyanka who went down fighting 11-7, 8-11, 4-11, 11-4, 6-11 and Isha’s teammate Sanjana Choksi struggle against Assam’s Biswarupa Bania with the former winning 11-5, 6-11, 10-12, 11-3, 6-11.

In the sub-junior girls category, the entire set of matches turned out to be mere formality for the higher-ranked players. They easily moved into the second round. However, Preeti Yadav of Rajasthan had to bring out all her experiences to the fore when she finally downed Disha Gupta of Karantaka 8-11, 11-8, 7-11, 11-6, 11-9.

The script in the sub-junior boys section was no different with the top seeds just mowing down their opponents in the first round.

A TTFI Press release

Bengal boys bounce back to beat PSPB 'A' in National sub-junior TT final

Kochi, December 10: Two new champions in North Bengal and Tamil Nadu surfaced at the end of the Cadet boys and girls finals but what took the cake was the steely resolve of West Bengal boys in the sub-junior section, who came back every time they were behind to outlast PSPB-A 3-2 in a gripping final of the New India Assurance 73^rdCadet and Sub-Junior National Inter-State Table Tennis championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here today.

The final that went to the wire consumed three full hours and Anirban Ghosh being the star performer for West Bengal as he ensured at least they take home the boys title. West Bengal, however, lost their Cadet boys title and so did Andhra Pradesh girls in Cadet section. However, Andhra retained the sub-junior girls’ title, beating West Bengal 3-0.

Anirban, in fact, kept West Bengal in the match by beating Birdie Boro 11-9, 3-11, 14-12, 11-6 in the first singles after Arjun had lost his singles to Lalrin Puia in five games. The doubles was easily taken by Lalhun Lua and Raja Kundu to put PSPB ahead. But Anirban, yet again, ensured with excellent attacking game and mostly wearing out his opponent Puia in five captivating games to win 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9. His come-from-behind fourth rubber infused fresh life into West Bengal as Arjun capitalized on it to beat Boro, again in five games of fluctuating fortunes.

In Cadet boys’ section, North Bengal had little answer from West Bengal as ZK Gogoi, Akash Nath took their singles rather easily before the two North Bengal paddlers combined well to defeat the West Bengal pair of Jeetchandra and Debomitra Chakraborth in five games of 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5. If West Bengal had taken the doubles, they could have looked forward to some kind of a fight in reverse singles. But it was not to be.

Earlier, West Bengal boys were stretched the full distance by Gujarat who had a good chance of making it to the finals until some avoidable errors on the part of Nilay Thakkar saw Demomitra stage a comeback to hold on. North Bengal easily defeated Andhra boys as the score-line suggests.

In Cadet girls, Tamil Nadu played a waiting game for most part to outwit West Bengal. Selena Deepthi and Yashini played their heart out while the latter really stood out with her calm and composed game. Perhaps this style did not suit the generally attacking Bengal girls and yet they never gave up until the last point. Earlier, Tamil Nadu simply outplayed last year’s winners Andhra in the semifinals.

The Results:

SUB JUNIOR BOYS (Final): West Bengal bt PSPB-A 3-2 (Arjun Ghosh lost to Lalrin Puia 9-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5, 7-11; Anirban Ghosh bt Birdie Boro 11-9, 3-11, 14-12, 11-6; Arjun/Anirban lost to Lalhun Lua/Raja Kundu 9-11, 8-11, 4-11; Anirban Ghosh bt Lalrin Puia 10-12, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9; Arjun Ghosh bt Birdie Boro 2-11, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9, 11-9.Semi-finals: West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-0 (Anirban Ghosh bt Siddhesh Pande 11-5, 11-7, 11-9; Arjun ghosh bt Kalpak Bansod 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 11-2; Arjun/Anirban bt Siddhesh/Kalpak 9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 , 11-9; PSPBA bt Delhi 3-0 (Birdie Boro bt Shiven Banga 11-8, 11-7, 11-3; Lalrin Puia bt chirag Kapoor 11-4, 11-7, 11-9; Birdie/Lalrin bt Shiven/Chirag 11-4, 13-11, 11-9.

SUB JUNIOR GIRLS (Final): Andhra Pradesh bt West Bengal 3-0 (Naina bt Moumita Dutta 11-4, 11-5, 11-5; Sreeja A bt Johita Banerjee 11-7, 14-12, 11-6; Naina/Sreeja bt Moumita/Johita 11-6, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6. Semi-finals: Andhra Pradesh bt Delhi 3-0 (Naina bt Harsh Kalra 11-8, 11-8, 11-5; Sreeja A bt Srishti gupta 11-9, 11-5, 11-9; Naina/Sreeja bt Aanchal/Shrishti 11-9, 11-8, 11-7; West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-2 (Moumi Dutta bt Ashlesha Trehan 11-9, 13-11, 12-10; Johita Banerjee lost to Shruti Amrute 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 7-11; Johita/Koushani nath bt shruti/Mansi 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5; Johita lost to Ahlesha Trehan 12-10, 11-7, 7-11,3-11,3-11;Moumita Dutta bt Shruti Amrute 11-9, 11-9, 11-3.

CADET BOYS (Final): North Bengal bt West Bengal 3-0 (Gogoi Z K bt Jeet Chandra 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7; Akash Nath bt Debomitra Chakraborty 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5; Gogoi/Akashnath bt Jeetchandra/Debomitra 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9. Semi-finals: West Bengal bt Gujarat 3-2 (Jeet Chandra bt Nilay Thakkar 11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Debomitra Chakraborty lost to Manav Thakkar 11-13, 4-11, 2-11; Jeet Chandra/Debomitra bt Nilay/Manav 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8; Jeet Chandra lost to Manav Thakkar 13-11, 11-13, 8-11, 4-11; Debomita Chakraborty bt Nilay Thakkar 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8; North Bengal bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0 (Gogoi Z K bt SFR Snehit 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; Akashnath bt Sai Tejesh 14-12, 12-10, 11-9; Gogoi/Akashnath bt Sai Tejesh/SFR Snehit 11-8, 11-9, 11-7.

CADET GIRLS: (Final): Tamil Nadu bt West Bengal 3-2 (Yashini S bt Moumita Dutta 11-1, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3; Selena Deepthi S bt Koushani Nath 11-9, 11-7, 11-8; Selena/Yashini lost to Koushani/Moumita 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 7-11; Selena Deepthi lost to Moumita Dutta 8-11, 5-11, 5-11; Yashini bt Koushani Nath 11-4, 16-14, 9-11, 11-8.

Semi-finals: Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0 (Selena Deepthi S bt Naga Sravani 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9; Yashini S bt Varuni Jaiswal 11-1,11-5, 11-8; Selena/Yashini bt Varuni/Nagasravani 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5; West Bengal bt Delhi 3-0 (Koushaninath bt Ishita Gupta 11-13, 11-5, 4-11, 13-11, 11-7; Mouita dutta bt Vanshika Sachar 11-2, 11-7, 11-5; Koushani/Moumita bt Anishall Dhall/Ishita Gupta 10-12, 13-11, 11-4, 11-9.

TTFI press release

North Bengal boys and Tamil Nadu girls win National Cadet TT titles

Kochi, December 10, 2011: Two new champions in North Bengal and Tamil Nadu surfaced at the end of the Cadet boys’ and girls’ finals as they dethroned last year’s winners West Bengal and Andhra Pradesh to wear the crowns in the New India Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National Inter-State Table Tennis championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Saturday.

In a way, what one witnessed today also augured well for the game. The scene in the sub-junior section too seemed going a similar way, except that the Andhra girls looked all set to retain the title. The Petroleum Sports Promotion Board boys looked formidable against the so-far rampaging West Bengal.

In Cadet boys’ section, North Bengal had little answer from West Bengal as ZK Gogoi, Akash Nath took their singles rather easily before the two North Bengal paddlers combined well to defeat the West Bengal pair of Jeetchandra and Debomitra Chakraborth in five games of 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5. If West Bengal had taken the doubles, they could have looked forward to some kind of a fight in reverse singles. But it was not to be.

Earlier, West Bengal boys were stretched the full distance by Gujarat who had a good chance of making it to the finals until some avoidable errors on the part of Nilay Thakkar saw Demomitra stage a comeback to hold on. North Bengal easily defeated Andhra boys as the score-line suggests.

In Cadet girls, Tamil Nadu played a waiting game for most part to outwit West Bengal. Selena Deepthi and Yashini played their heart out while the latter really stood out with her calm and composed game. Perhaps this style did not suit the generally attacking Bengal girls and yet they never gave up until the last point. Earlier, Tamil Nadu simply outplayed last year’s winners Andhra in the semifinals.

The Results:

SUB JUNIOR BOYS (SF): West Bengal btu Maharashtra 3 – 0 (Anirban Ghosh bt Siddhesh Pande 11-5, 11-7, 11-9; Arjun ghosh bt Kalpak Bansod 11-8, 3-11, 12-10, 11-2; Arjun/Anirban bt Siddhesh/Kalpak 9-11, 5-11, 11-9, 11-9 , 11-9; PSPBA bt Delhi 3-0 (Birdie Boro bt Shiven Banga 11-8, 11-7, 11-3; Lalrin Puia bt chirag Kapoor 11-4, 11-7, 11-9; Birdie/Lalrin bt Shiven/Chirag 11-4, 13-11, 11-9.

SUB JUNIOR GIRLS (SF): Andhra Pradesh bt Delhi 3-0 (Naina bt Harsh Kalra 11-8, 11-8, 11-5; Sreeja A bt Srishti gupta 11-9, 11-5, 11-9; Naina/Sreeja bt Aanchal/Shrishti 11-9, 11-8, 11-7; West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-2 (Moumi Dutta bt Ashlesha Trehan 11-9, 13-11, 12-10; Johita Banerjee lost to Shruti Amrute 7-11, 11-6, 5-11, 7-11; Johita/Koushani nath bt shruti/Mansi 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 11-5; Johita lost to Ahlesha Trehan 12-10, 11-7, 7-11,3-11,3-11;Moumita Dutta bt Shruti Amrute 11-9, 11-9, 11-3.

CADET BOYS (Final): North Bengal bt West Bengal 3-0 (Gogoi Z K bt Jeet Chandra 9-11, 11-6, 11-9, 6-11, 11-7; Akash Nath bt Debomitra Chakraborty 11-8, 9-11, 11-3, 7-11, 11-5; Gogoi/Akashnath bt Jeetchandra/Debomitra 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 9-11, 11-9. Semi-finals: West Bengal bt Gujarat 3-2 (Jeet Chandra bt Nilay Thakkar 11-4, 11-5, 11-7; Debomitra Chakraborty lost to Manav Thakkar 11-13, 4-11, 2-11; Jeet Chandra/Debomitra bt Nilay/Manav 4-11, 11-7, 11-7, 11-8; Jeet Chandra lost to Manav Thakkar 13-11, 11-13, 8-11, 4-11; Debomita Chakraborty bt Nilay Thakkar 11-7, 9-11, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8; North Bengal bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0 (Gogoi Z K bt SFR Snehit 11-6, 11-7, 11-5; Akashnath bt Sai Tejesh 14-12, 12-10, 11-9; Gogoi/Akashnath bt Sai Tejesh/SFR Snehit 11-8, 11-9, 11-7.

CADET GIRLS: (Final): Tamil Nadu bt West Bengal 3-2 (Yashini S bt Moumita Dutta 11-1, 11-5, 11-13, 11-3; Selena Deepthi S bt Koushani Nath 11-9, 11-7, 11-8; Selena/Yashini lost to Koushani/Moumita 6-11, 3-11, 11-8, 7-11; Selena Deepthi lost to Moumita Dutta 8-11, 5-11, 5-11; Yashini bt Koushani Nath 11-4, 16-14, 9-11, 11-8.
Semi-finals: Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0 (Selena Deepthi S bt Naga Sravani 11-5, 9-11, 11-7, 11-9; Yashini S bt Varuni Jaiswal 11-1,11-5, 11-8; Selena/Yashini bt Varuni/Nagasravani 11-8, 11-5, 9-11, 11-5; West Bengal bt Delhi 3-0 (Koushaninath bt Ishita Gupta 11-13, 11-5, 4-11, 13-11, 11-7; Mouita dutta bt Vanshika Sachar 11-2, 11-7, 11-5; Koushani/Moumita bt Anishall Dhall/Ishita Gupta 10-12, 13-11, 11-4, 11-9.

A TTFI Press Release

Top teams move into pre-quarterfinals of National sub-junior table tennis

Kochi, December 9: All top teams took their appointed place in the pre-quarterfinals—majority of them without a whimper and a few with minor hiccups on the second day of the New India Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National Inter-State Table Tennis Championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Friday.

Holders West Bengal boys and Andhra girls in sub-junior as well as in Cadet sections maintained their top-perch positions in Group A. The other group leaders in the boys’ sub-junior section included PSPB A, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Maharashtra B, North Bengal and Karnataka. Similarly, the sub-junior girls team of West Bengal, Maharashtra A, North Bengal, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, hosts Kerala and Maharashtra B finished atop their groups, leaving the second place crumb to lesser teams.

In Cadet section, Delhi boys and girls moved into the pre-quarterfinals, particularly the latter blanking out their opponents in a four-team Group D. Maharashtra girls huffed and puffed their way to lead Group B, while both their boys teams leading Group B and G.

The North Bengal boys and girls did exceedingly well, giving a scare to their opponents in the second stage. Rajasthan boys and girls finished second in their groups, qualifying for the next stage. But the PSPB A boys, who were expected to make a ripple, struggled before topping Group H, thanks to Uttarakhand who gave a harrowing time. While the boys from Goa just about managed to qualify, their girls bowed out finishing fourth in Group C.

The pre-quarterfinals that start in the evening could throw up some hard-fought battles with hosts Kerala boys taking on North Bengal, Gujarat meeting Delhi, PSPB running into Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal meeting Karnataka in Cadet boys’ section. The Gujarat vs Tamil Nadu match, North Bengal and PSPB A promise to be good pre-quarterfinal outings. As for the sub-junior girls, all but one match between North Bengal and PSPB A should prove a nut-cracker.

In Cadet girls’ category, the battle between Andhra and Gujarat could be a mouth-watering affair and Kerala could put some pressure against West Bengal with the crowd rooting for the host team. Delhi girls have a fairly easy draw as they take on Pondicherry for a place in the quarter-finals while their boys could run into a rough weather in Gujarat. Maharashtra A and North Bengal should equally give the spectators something to watch out for.

Results:

SUB JUNIOR BOYS TEAM EVENT

GROUP : A

West Bengal bt Manipur 3 - 0

West Bengal bt Chandigarh 3 - 0

Chandigarh bt Manipur 3 - 2

GROUP : B

PSPB - A BT Madhya Pradesh 3 - 0

Gujarat BT Himachal Pradesh 3 - 0

PSPB – A BT Gujarat 3 - 0

Madhya Pradesh BT Himachal Pradesh 3 - 0

PSPB - A BT Himachal Pradesh 3 - 0

gujarat BT madhya pradesh 3 - 0

GROUP : C

pondicherry BT goa 3 - 1

haryana BT bihar 3 - 1

haryana BT goa 3 - 0

pondicherry BT bihar 3 - 0

goa BT bihar 3 - 0

haryana BT pondicherry 3 - 1

GROUP : D

tamil nadu BT mizoram 3 - 0

assam BT chattisgarh 3 - 0

tamil nadu BT assam 3 - 2

mizoram BT chattisgarh 3 - 1

tamil nadu BT chattisgarh 3 - 0

assam BT mizoram 3 - 1

GROUP : E

delhi BT punjab 3 - 1

andhra pradesh BT orissa 3 - 0

delhi BT orissa 3 - 0

andhra pradesh BT punjab 3 - 2

delhi BT andhra pradesh 3 - 0

orissa BT punjab 3 - 2

GROUP : F

kerala BT maharashtra b 3 - 1

uttarakhand BT meghalaya 3 - 1

maharashtra b BT uttarakhand 3 - 0

kerala BT meghalaya 3 - 0

maharashtra b BT meghalaya 3 - 0

kerala BT uttarakhand 3 - 0

GROUP : G

north bengal BT rajasthan 3 - 0

maharashtra a BT tripura 3 - 0

maharashtra a BT north bengal 3 - 2

rajasthan BT tripura 3 - 0

north bengal BT tripura 3 - 0

maharashtra a BT rajasthan 3 - 0

GROUP : H

KARNATAKA bt JHARKHAND 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt KARNATAKA 3 - 1

JHARKHAND bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 1

KARNATAKA bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt JHARKHAND 3 – 0

SUB JUNIOR GIRLS TEAM EVENT

GROUP : A

andhra pradesh BT punjab 3 - 0

andhra pradesh BT rajasthan 3 - 0

punjab BT rajasthan 3 - 1

GROUP : B

WEST BENGAL bt CHHATTISGARH 3 - 0

WEST BENGAL bt PONDICHERRY 3 - 0

PONDICHERRY bt CHHATTISGARH 3 - 0

GROUP : C

MAHARASHTRA A bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt GOA 3 - 0

MAHARASHTRA A bt UTTAR PRADESH 3 - 0

GOA bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

MAHARASHTRA A bt GOA 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

GROUP : D

NORTH BENGAL bt JHARKHAND 3 - 1

ASSAM bt MANIPUR 3 - 0

NORTH BENGAL bt ASSAM 3 - 0

JHARKHAND bt MANIPUR 3 - 1

NORTH BENGAL bt MANIPUR 3 - 0

ASSAM bt JHARKHAND 3 - 1

GROUP : E

GUJARAT bt UTTARAKHAND 3 - 0

MADHYA PRADESH bt MIZORAM 3 - 1

GUJARAT bt MADHYA PRADESH 3 - 1

UTTARAKHAND bt MIZORAM 3 - 2

GUJARAT bt MIZORAM 3 - 0

MADHYA PRADESH bt UTTARAKHAND 3 - 2

GROUP : F

TAMIL NADU bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 0

KARNATAKA bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

TAMIL NADU bt KARNATAKA 3 - 0

CHANDIGARH bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 1

TAMIL NADU bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

KARNATAKA bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 1

GROUP : G

KERALA bt BIHAR 3 - 0

DELHI bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

DELHI bt KERALA 3 - 0

BIHAR bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 2

KERALA bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

DELHI bt BIHAR 3 - 0

GROUP : H

MAHARASHTRA - B bt HARYANA 3 - 1

MEGHALAYA bt ORISSA 3 - 1

MAHARASHTRA - B bt ORISSA 3 - 2

MEGHALAYA bt HARYANA 3 - 1

MAHARASHTRA - B bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 1

ORISSA bt HARYANA 3 - 0

CADET BOYS TEAM

GROUP : A

WEST BENGAL bt BIHAR 3 - 1

WEST BENGAL bt PONDICHERRY 3 - 0

BIHAR bt PONDICHERRY 3 - 0

GROUP : B

DELHI bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 0

MAHARASHTRA A bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 1

MAHARASHTRA A bt DELHI 3 - 1

CHANDIGARH bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 1

DELHI bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 0

MAHARASHTRA A bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 0

GROUP : C

KERALA bt MANIPUR 3 - 0

GOA bt HARYANA 3 - 0

GOA bt KERALA 3 - 1

MANIPUR bt HARYANA 3 - 1

HARYANA bt KERALA 3 - 1

GOA bt MANIPUR 3 - 1

GROUP : D

TAMIL NADU bt MIZORAM 3 - 0

RAJASTHAN bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

TAMIL NADU bt RAJASTHAN 3 - 0

JAMMU & KASHMIR bt MIZORAM 3 - 0

TAMIL NADU bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

RAJASTHAN bt MIZORAM 3 - 2

GROUP : E

GUJARAT bt MADHAYA PRADESH 3 - 0

ASSAM bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

GUJARAT bt ASSAM 3 - 0

MADHAYA PRADESH bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

GUJARAT bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

ASSAM bt MADHAYA PRADESH 3 - 0

GROUP : F

KARNATAKA bt PUNJAB 3 - 1

NORTH BENGAL bt ORISSA 3 - 0

NORTH BENGAL bt KARNATAKA 3 - 0

ORISSA bt PUNJAB 3 - 2

KARNATAKA bt ORISSA 3 - 0

NORTH BENGAL bt PUNJAB 3 - 0

GROUP : G

MAHARASHTRA B bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

ANDHRA PRADESH bt CHHATTISGARH 3 - 0

ANDHRA PRADESH bt MAHARASHTRA B 3 - 0

CHHATTISGARH bt TRIPURA 3 - 1

MAHARASHTRA B bt CHHATTISGARH 3 - 0

ANDHRA PRADESH bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

GROUP : H

P S P B - A bt JHARKHAND 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt UTTARAKHAND 3 - 1

UTTAR PRADESH bt P S P B - A 3 - 1

UTTARAKHAND bt JHARKHAND 3 - 1

P S P B - A bt UTTARAKHAND 3 - 2

UTTAR PRADESH bt JHARKHAND 3 – 1

Cadet Girls Team Event First Stage

GROUP : A

ANDHRA PRADESH bt MANIPUR 3 - 0

ANDHRA PRADESH bt RAJASTHAN 3 - 1

RAJASTHAN bt MANIPUR 3 - 1

GROUP : B

MAHARASHTRA B bt JHARKHAND 3 - 2

MAHARASHTRA B bt GOA 3 - 2

GOA bt JHARKHAND 3 - 2

GROUP : C

TAMIL NADU bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 0

PONDICHERRY bt MADHYA PRADESH 3 - 1

TAMIL NADU bt MADHYA PRADESH 3 - 0

PONDICHERRY bt CHANDIGARH 3 - 1

TAMIL NADU bt PONDICHERRY 3 - 0

CHANDIGARH bt MADHYA PRADESH 3 - 0

GROUP : D

DELHI bt UTTARAKHAND 3 - 0

PUNJAB bt TRIPURA 3 - 1

DELHI bt PUNJAB 3 - 0

UTTARAKHAND bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

DELHI bt TRIPURA 3 - 0

UTTARAKHAND bt PUNJAB 3 - 2

GROUP : E

NORTH BENGAL bt ORISSA 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt HARYANA 3 - 1

UTTAR PRADESH bt NORTH BENGAL 3 - 0

HARYANA bt ORISSA 3 - 1

NORTH BENGAL bt HARYANA 3 - 0

UTTAR PRADESH bt ORISSA 3 - 0

GROUP : F

KARNATAKA bt BIHAR 3 - 0

KERALA bt CHATTISGARH 3 - 0

KARNATAKA bt KERALA 3 - 1

BIHAR bt CHATTISGARH 3 - 1

KARNATAKA bt CHATTISGARH 3 - 0

KERALA bt BIHAR 3 - 0

GROUP : G

WEST BENGAL bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 0

GUJARAT bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

WEST BENGAL bt GUJARAT 3 - 0

JAMMU & KASHMIR bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 0

WEST BENGAL bt JAMMU & KASHMIR 3 - 0

GUJARAT bt MEGHALAYA 3 - 0

GROUP : H

MAHARASHTRA A bt MIZORAM 3 - 0

ASSAM bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

MAHARASHTRA A bt ASSAM 3 - 0

MIZORAM bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 1

MAHARASHTRA A bt HIMACHAL PRADESH 3 - 0

ASSAM bt MIZORAM 3 - 1

A TTFI Press Release

Bihar fight bravely but lose to Bengal 1-3 in National sub-junior table tennis

Kochi, December 8, 2011: As expected, top-ranked boys and girls’ teams went through the motions without giving any hint of a struggle in the first stage on the inaugural day of the New Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National Inter-State Table Tennis Championships at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium here on Thursday.

Indeed, the minnows had to dig out from their reservoir of skills in order to give a few anxious moments to their better rivals, but nothing beyond that happened. In the Cadet boys section, four teams managed to take a game each off their rivals with West Bengal in Group A losing a game to Bihar for a 3-1 verdict, Maharashtra beating Chandigarh 3-1, Karnataka downing Punjab 3-1 and Uttar Pradesh accounting for Uttrakhand 3-1. For the rest of the teams, it was a smooth sailing as they all blanked out their opponents 3-0 to register wins. Going by their form, they should easily make it to the second stage, barring hiccups in their next matches.

There were some surprises for the Cadet girls of Mahrashtra B. Their never-say-die attitude, however, helped them stop Jharkhand, who went down 2-3 after putting up a keen fight. Ritika Kundu put Jharkand ahead when she beat Toral Manderekar 2-11, 11-6, 11-7, 11-6, but West Bengal’s Disha Hulawale restored parity with a 11-0, 11-0, 11-1 win over Awantika Rai.

In the doubles, Kadambari Bhandarkar and Shreya Deshpande combined together to take Maharshtra B 2-1 when the pair beat Rikita Kundu and chandini Kumari 5-11, 11-6, 9-11, 11-6. However, Ritika infuesed new life into Jharkhand ranks with a 11-7, 11-5, 12-10 hard-fought win over Disha Hulawale. Precariously placed as they were at this stage, it was left to Toral to bring Mahrashtra back in the match. She promptly despatched Awantika in straight games of 11-5, 11-1, 11-6.

Only three other teams conceded a game each to their opponents—Pondicherry beating Madhya Pradesh 3-1 in Group C, Punjab defeating Tripura 3-1 in Group D and uttar Pradesh taking a game off Haryana for a 3-1 verdict in Group E. The rest of the first stage matches were mere formalities as the winners stamped their authority with a 3-0 triumph.

Kerala’s Excise and Customs Minister K. Babu delared the meet open in the afternoon and the formal inauguration was followed by a colourful cultural programme and panchari melam (a traditional percussion performance).

A TTFI Press Release

Stage set for 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National table tennis championships in Kochi

KOCHI, DECEMBER 7, 2011: With all top paddlers confirming participation the prospects of a mouth-watering fare is on cards in the team events of the New India Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, getting underway here at the RSC Indoor Stadium from Thursday.

If West Bengal boys had shown the upper hand in both the sub-junior and Cadet sections by winning the titles, it was the Andhra Pradesh girls who beat their rivals to claim the crowns in the two categories last year. The players of the two states, though here to better their performance, will have to do a lot of hard work with steely determination to retain the titles.

The West Bengal boys particularly will have to tackle the rampaging PSPB boys who have higher-ranked players in their squads while it could be a toss-up for the top honours in the sub-junior girls section for all the three states—holders Andhra, West and North Bengals. Incidentally, the North Bengal team has some top girls who could upset even the best in business on a given day.

As for the Cadet boys, West Bengal have a headache of sorts in their immediate rival North Bengal whose prowess on the table is seeing an upswing. The paddlers from West Bengal are wary of the fact but they will also have to contend with the likes of Gujarat and Delhi, with the boys representing the two states having shown promise in the recent zonals.

Similarly, the Cadet girls of Andhra will have to think about a proper game plan and execute it in perfection as their opponents from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will be breathing down their neck all the time. Both the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu girls have done exceedingly well in the recent meets to show their mettle. That is something which should give a worry or two to the title holders.

However, all these teams will have little to worry about as they are expected top quality for the next round with two top teams in each group making it to the main draw. Similar should be the case with all group leaders and they are expected to sail through.

Whatever the case, all the teams know full well the implications of winning the championships and picking the vital points and, of course, some handsome prize money on offer. The total prize purse being Rs 201,900, the team championships will set the right tone for the individual events that follow immediately in all the sections.

The sub-junior singles winners in the boys section will receive Rs 26,000 while the girl will take home Rs 22,000. In Cadet section, the boy who wins the crown will get Rs 18,000 while the girls Rs 15,000 with the money distributed up to the eighth position in all sections.

A TTFI Press Release