Indian mixed pair win gold in table tennis

Paddlers pocketed a gold and silver medal in an all-Indian mixed pair final as they remained in course to make a clean sweep in the 12th South Asian Games here on Tuesday.

The reigning national champion pair of Anthony Amalraj and Manika Batra overcame a stiff challenge from G Sathiyan and Mouma Das to post a 11-5, 4-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10 at the JLN Indoor Complex.

Earlier Sathiyan-Mouma got past the Lankan duo of Udaya Ranasinghe-Ruvini Kannangura 11-7, 10-12, 13-11, 11-6, while Amalraj-Manika also dropped a set before emerging winner against Rohan Sirisena-Ishara Madhurangi of Sri Lanka 11-4, 11-13, 11-6, 11-5.
Amalraj will take on G Sathiyan for the singles title, while in the men’s doubles final Amalraj-Sanil Shetty face Sathiyan and Devesh Karia.

Manika will clash against five time former champion Mouma for the individual gold.
The doubles final will be a clash between the duo of Manika-Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Mouma-K Shamini.

Amalraj cruised past Rohan Sirisena of Sri Lanka without dropping a set as he won 11-9, 11-4, 11-3, 11-7 and will meet Sathiyan in final.

Sathiyan also advanced without dropping a set as he won 11-5, 14-12, 12-10, 11-6 against Udaya Ranasinghe of Sri Lanka.

The duo of Amalraj and Shetty got the better of Sirisena and Chameern Ginge 11-8, 14-12, 11-9 in the semis. Sathiyan-Karia defeated Lankan duo of Ranasinghe-Nirmala Jayasinghe 11-7, 11-4, 11-4 in the other semifinal.

In the women’s singles semis, National champion Manika dropped the second set against Ishara Madhurangi before winning 12-10, 9-11, 11-2, 11-5, 11-8.

In the other half, Mouma faced little resistance from another Lankan Ruvini Kannangura as she romped home 11-4, 11-9, 11-3, 11-7.