Indore: The 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships began at the Abhay Prashal Stadium here on Saturday with the opening two rounds of the men’s and women’s team events unfolding largely on predictable lines, as several leading contenders stamped their authority and moved closer to securing places in the knockout stage.
In the men’s section, many traditional powerhouses enjoyed comfortable outings. PSPB set the early pace in Group A with convincing 3–0 victories over Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, while RSPB asserted control in Group B by defeating Rajasthan 3–1 before brushing aside Gujarat 3–0. West Bengal also made an impressive start in Group C with back-to-back 3–1 wins over Uttarakhand and Odisha, while Telangana topped Group D after beating Chhattisgarh 3–0 and Madhya Pradesh 3–1.
The closest contest of the day came in Group E, where Delhi edged Maharashtra 3–2 in a gripping tie after both teams had begun with routine victories. Both sides had opened their campaigns with comfortable victories. The contest swung back and forth before reaching a dramatic finish.
Delhi had taken the initial lead, but Maharashtra fought back strongly. The turning point came in the fourth rubber when Kushal Chopda defeated Sudhanshu Grover 11–6, 5–11, 11–6, 8–11, 13–11 in a tense five-game battle, levelling the tie at 2–2 and forcing a decider. Chopda’s effort was particularly notable as he won both his singles on the day, keeping Maharashtra firmly in the contest.
With the tie hanging in the balance, the decisive fifth rubber saw Shivjit Singh Lamba deliver under pressure for Delhi. He overcame Anish Sontakke 11–6, 13–11, 12–10 to clinch the match and seal a hard-fought 3–2 victory, ensuring Delhi maintained its winning momentum in the group despite Maharashtra’s spirited challenge.
Mizoram and Assam dominated Group F with clean sweeps, while Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu advanced smoothly in Group G with emphatic 3–0 results. Haryana and Karnataka also opened their campaigns strongly in Group H with convincing wins.
The women’s team event followed a similar pattern, with the stronger teams asserting early control. PSPB, RBI, and Maharashtra all registered successive 3–0 victories to underscore their strength, while Tamil Nadu commanded Group C with wins over Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal and Delhi also impressed with comfortable victories in their respective groups.
There were a few closely fought ties as well, notably Karnataka’s narrow 3–2 victory over Assam and Uttar Pradesh’s hard-earned 3–2 win against Odisha, adding a touch of drama to otherwise one-sided early rounds.
Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s teams from Ladakh are yet to begin their campaign after arriving a day late owing to a flight cancellation. They are scheduled to play both their group matches later this evening, following the inauguration ceremony.
Results: (Team Stage 1):
Men: (Rounds 1&2)
Group A: PSPB bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0, Punjab bt Nagaland 3-0; PSPB bt Punjab 3-0, Andhra Pradesh bt Nagaland 3-0.
Group B: RSPB bt Rajasthan 3-1, Gujarat bt Sikkim 3-0; RSPB bt Gujarat 3-0, Rajasthan bt Sikkim 3-0.
Group C: W. Bengal bt Uttarakhand 3-1, Odisha bt Himachal 3-1; W. Bengal bt Odisha 3-1, Uttarakhand bt Himachal Pradesh 3-2.
Group D: Telangana bt Chhattisgarh 3-0, MP bt J&K 3-0; Telangana bt MP 3-1, Chhattisgarh bt J&K 3-1
Group E: Delhi bt Manipur 3-0, Maharashtra bt Goa 3-0; Delhi bt Maharashtra 3-2; Manipur bt Goa 3-1.
Group F: Mizoram bt Andaman & Nicobar 3-0, Assam bt Meghalaya 3-0; Mizoram bt Jharkhand 3-0, Assam bt Andaman & Nicobar 3-0.
Group G: UP bt Kerala 3-0, Tamil Nadu bt Pondicherry 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Kerala 3-0, UP bt Bihar 3-0.
Group H: Haryana bt Daman & Diu 3-0; Karnataka bt Chandigarh 3-0.
Women: (Rounds 1&2)
Group A: PSPB bt Goa 3-0; PSPB bt Telangana 3-0
Group B: RBI bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0; RBI bt Chandigarh 3-0.
Group C: Tamil Nadu bt Meghalaya 3-0, Andhra Pradesh bt Jharkhand 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0; Meghalaya bt Jharkhand 3-2.
Group D: Maharashtra bt Rajasthan 3-0; Maharashtra bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0.
Group E: Haryana bt Bihar 3-0, W. Bengal bt Kerala 3-0; W. Bengal bt Haryana 3-0, Kerala bt Bihar 3-0.
Group F: Delhi bt Punjab 3-0, Gujarat bt Nagaland 3-0; Delhi bt Gujarat 3-0, Punjab bt Nagaland 3-0.
Group G: Karnataka bt Chhattisgarh 3-0, Assam bt Pondicherry 3-0; Karnataka bt Assam 3-2, Pondicherry bt Chhattisgarh 3-2.
Group H: UP bt Uttarakhand 3-0, Odisha bt J&K 3-0; UP bt Odisha 3-2, Uttarakhand bt J&K 3-0.
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