Thiruvananthapuram: Manush Shah and Diya Chitale, both representing RBI, emerged victorious in the men’s and women’s singles finals at the UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships held at the Jimmy George Indoor Stadium.
Manush overcame a strong challenge from Ankur Bhattacharjee with a 4-2 victory, while Diya delivered a commanding 4-1 win over Swastika Ghosh, making it a memorable day for both players.
In a thrilling men’s final, Manush displayed remarkable composure during critical moments, particularly when the match was tied at 2-2. It was then that he launched an aggressive offensive, disrupting Ankur’s rhythm. Riding on a wave of confidence after taking a 3-2 lead, Manush sealed the match decisively, clinching his first national title.
Meanwhile, Diya demonstrated consistency and resilience throughout the tournament. Following her impressive performance in the Institutional Championships earlier this season, she maintained her high standards despite facing tough competition. After a challenging semifinal, she entered the final with focus and determination. Though Swastika, the singles champion at the Chandigarh Institutional event, claimed the opening game, Diya quickly regrouped. Her precise forehands and solid backhand blocks left little room for Swastika to mount a comeback. From the second game onward, Diya dominated, showcasing skill and confidence to secure a well-deserved victory.
Ankur Bhattacharjee performed in the first men’s singles semifinal, defeating Akash Pal with a convincing 4-1 victory. Although he conceded the third game, there was little for Akash to celebrate as Ankur remained in complete control, ensuring his win was never in doubt.
The second semifinal between Manush Shah and Manav Thakkar lasted over an hour. The match showcased long rallies and intense exchanges, with Manush finding himself in a difficult position by the fifth game as Manav held a 3-2 lead. However, Manush made a remarkable comeback, showcasing his adaptability and strategic play to win the final two games and secure a 4-3 victory. His ability to exploit angles and maintain composure proved decisive in this hard-fought encounter.
In the women’s singles semifinals, Sutirtha Mukherjee faced a stiff challenge from Maharashtra’s young talent, Sayali Wani. Sayali’s aggressive and free-flowing style made her intentions clear, pushing the experienced RSPB paddler to the limit. Despite the fierce competition, Sutirtha managed to edge past Sayali with a 3-2 victory.
But Diya Chitale showcased resilience and determination in her semifinal clash against Sutirtha. After falling behind at 1-2 and later at 2-3, Diya regrouped and turned the match around with her powerful forehands and strategic play. She claimed two consecutive extended games, including a nail-biting 12-10 victory in the decider, to earn a well-deserved 4-3 triumph.
Another promising young player, Taneesha Kotecha from Maharashtra, demonstrated remarkable improvement this season with her strategic gameplay and consistency. Despite her commendable efforts, she fell short in the women’s singles semifinal against Swastika Ghosh, losing 2-4 in a closely fought contest.
In the U-19 boys’ final, Ankur Bhattacharjee continued his dominating form dismantling Maharashtra’s Kushal Chopda in straight games for a commanding 4-0 victory. Ankur’s agility and aggressive approach left Kushal with little room to counter, despite the latter showing significant improvement in the knockout stages.
The U-19 girls’ final saw Syndrela Das emerge victorious over Ananya Chande in a thrilling 4-2 encounter. Syndrela initially surged to a 3-0 lead, but Ananya mounted an impressive comeback by taking the next two games. However, Syndrela quickly regained momentum and sealed the match, adding another title to her collection after her U-17 victory earlier in the tournament.
Results:
Men’s Singles: Final: Manush Shah (RBI) bt Ankur Bhattacharjee (PSPB) 11-2, 4-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-8, 13-11.
Semifinals: Ankur bt Akash Pal (RSPB) 11-5, 11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-8; Manush (RBI) bt Manav Thakkar (PSPB) 10-12, 11-7, 13-10, 8-11, 6-11, 11-7, 11-7.
Quarterfinals: Akash bt P.B. Abhinand (TN) 3-1; Ankur bt Divyansh Srivastava (PSPB) 3-0; Manush bt Yashansh Malik (AAI) 3-0; Manav bt SFR Snehit (IA&AD) 3-2.
Women’s Singles: Final: Diya Chitale (RBI) bt Swastika Ghosh (AAI) 8-11, 11-5, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7.
Semifinals: Swastika bt Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) 11-5, 4-11, 11-4, 11-5, 6-11, 11-4; Diya bt Sutirtha Mukherjee (RSPB) 12-10, 3-11, 6-11, 11-4, 8-11, 14-12, 12-10.
Quarterfinals: Taneesha bt Jennifer Varghese (Mah) 3-1; Swastika bt Pritha Vartikar (Mah) 3-0; Diya bt Syndrela Das (WB) 3-1; Sutirtha bt Sayali Wani (Mah) 3-2.
Youth Boys U-19 Singles: Final: Ankur Bhattacharjee (PSPB) bt Kushal Chopda (Mah) 11-6, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9.
Semifinals: Ankur bt Punit Biswas (WB)11-6, 13-11, 8-11, 11-7; Kushal bt Priyanuj Bhattacharyya (Asm) 5-11, 6-11, 12-10, 12-10, 11-6.
Youth Girls U-19 Singles: Final: Syndrela Das (WB) bt Ananya Chande (Mah) 11-8, 13-11, 11-5, 8-11, 9-11, 11-4.
Semifinals: Syndrela bt Pritha Vartikar (Mah) 10-12, 11-1, 11-7, 12-10; Ananya bt Ananya Muralidharan (TN) 14-12, 11-5, 14-12.
