PSPB men, women reign supreme

Petroleum Sports Control Board (PSPB) scooped titles in both the men and women team events in the AAI 44th Inter-Institutional Table Tennis Championships being played at the Thyagaraj Stadium.

The men’s team beat Railway Sports Promotion Board 3-0, while the women outclassed the Airports Authority of India (AAI) with an identical margin. The trio of Soumyajit Ghosh, Sanil Shetty and Harmeet Desai did the job for PSPB men. 

Ghosh took just 18 minutes to outwit Anirban Nandi, the most experienced Railways’ player, 11-6, 11-8, 11-9 while Shetty, the national champion, conceded his second, a hard-fought game to Souvik Kar, before coming to grips to win 11-4, 12-14, 11-8, 11-7. Desai beat Noel Pinto for the 11-8, 11-3, 11-9 verdict.

In the women’s team final, barring the first game which AAI’s Nikhat Bhanu took 11-3, it was PSPB’s Madhurika Patkar, who dominated proceedings. 

Madhurika rallied to win 3-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8.. Ankita Das, too, lost a game to the promising Kritwikka Sinha Roy but fought back to win 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7. Former national champion Poulomi Ghatak, despite being rusty and losing her opening game managed to put it across Amrutha Pushpak 12-14, 11-3, 13-11, 11-8.

Results (team finals): Men: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board bt Railway Sports Promotion Board 3-0 (Soumyajit Ghosh bt Anirban Nandi 11-6, 11-8, 11-9, Sanil Shetty bt Souvik Kar 11-4, 12-14, 11-8, 11-7, Harmeet Desai bt Noel Pinto 11-8, 11-3, 11-9). Women: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board bt Airports Authority of India 3-0 (Madhurika Patkar bt Nikhat Bhanu 3-11, 11-5, 11-6, 11-8, Ankita Das bt Kritwikka Sinha Roy 11-8, 9-11, 12-10, 11-7, Poulomi Ghatak bt Amrutha Pushpak 12-14, 11-3, 13-11, 11-8.