India: The 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships began at the Abhay Prashal Stadium here on Saturday. The first two rounds of the men’s and women’s team competitions largely followed predictable lines as several leading contenders asserted their authority and moved closer to securing places in the knockout rounds.
Among the men, many traditional powerhouses enjoyed leisurely excursions. PSPB set the early pace in Group A with convincing 3-0 wins over Andhra Pradesh and Punjab, while RSPB took control in Group B by beating Rajasthan 3-1 and defeating Gujarat 3-0. West Bengal also made an impressive start to Group C with back-to-back 3-1 wins over Uttarakhand and Odisha, while Telangana topped Group D after defeating Chhattisgarh 3-0 and Madhya Pradesh 3-1.
The closest battle of the day came in Group E, where Delhi beat Maharashtra 3-2 in a thrilling draw after both teams started with routine wins. Both sides had opened their campaigns with comfortable victories. The contest see-sawed back and forth before reaching a dramatic conclusion.
Delhi had initially taken the lead, but Maharashtra fought back strongly. The turning point came in the fourth game when Kushal Chopda defeated Sudhanshu Grover 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, 8-11, 13-11 in a thrilling five-game battle, leveling the tie at 2-2 and forcing a decider. Chopda’s performance was particularly notable as he won both singles on the day, keeping Maharashtra firmly in the competition.
With the tie still on the line, Shivjit Singh Lamba delivered under pressure for Delhi in the crucial fifth game. He defeated Anish Sontakke 11-6, 13-11, 12-10 to decide the game and secure a hard-fought 3-2 victory. Delhi thus maintained its winning ways in the group despite Maharashtra’s spirited challenge.
Mizoram and Assam dominated Group F with flawless games while Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu easily progressed in Group G with convincing 3-0 results. Haryana and Karnataka also opened their Group H season strongly with convincing wins.
The women’s team competition followed a similar pattern, with the stronger teams taking control early. PSPB, RBI and Maharashtra all registered consecutive 3-0 wins to highlight their strength, while Tamil Nadu topped Group C with wins over Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh. West Bengal and Delhi also impressed with comfortable wins in their respective groups.
There were also some hard-fought encounters, notably Karnataka’s narrow 3-2 win over Assam and Uttar Pradesh’s hard-fought 3-2 win over Odisha, which added a touch of drama to an otherwise one-sided first round.
Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s teams from Ladakh are yet to start their season as they arrived a day late due to flight cancellation. Their two group games are scheduled to be played later in the evening after the inaugural ceremony.
Results: (Team phase 1):
Men: (Rounds 1 and 2)
Group A: PSPB v Andhra Pradesh 3-0, Punjab v Nagaland 3-0; PSPB vs. Punjab 3-0, Andhra Pradesh vs. Nagaland 3-0.
Group B: RSPB v Rajasthan 3-1, Gujarat v Sikkim 3-0; RSPB vs Gujarat 3-0, Rajasthan vs Sikkim 3-0.
Group C: West Bengal vs. Uttarakhand 3-1, Odisha vs. Himachal 3-1; W. Bengal vs. Odisha 3:1, Uttarakhand vs. Himachal Pradesh 3:2.
Group D: Telangana v Chhattisgarh 3-0, MP v J&K 3-0; Telangana vs MP 3-1, Chhattisgarh vs J&K 3-1
Group E: Delhi v Manipur 3-0, Maharashtra v Goa 3-0; Delhi vs Maharashtra 3-2; Manipur vs Goa 3-1.
Group F: Mizoram v Andaman and Nicobar Islands 3-0, Assam v Meghalaya 3-0; Mizoram vs Jharkhand 3-0, Assam vs Andaman & Nicobar 3-0.
Group G: UP v Kerala 3-0, Tamil Nadu v Pondicherry 3-0; Tamil Nadu vs Kerala 3-0, UP vs Bihar 3-0.
Group H: Haryana v Daman & Diu 3-0; Karnataka vs Chandigarh 3-0.
Women: (Rounds 1 and 2)
Group A: PSPB v Goa 3-0; PSPB defeated Telangana 3-0
Group B: RBI v Himachal Pradesh 3-0; RBI against Chandigarh 3-0.
Group C: Tamil Nadu v Meghalaya 3-0, Andhra Pradesh v Jharkhand 3-0; Tamil Nadu defeats Andhra Pradesh 3-0; Meghalaya vs Jharkhand 3-2.
Group D: Maharashtra v Rajasthan 3-0; Maharashtra vs Madhya Pradesh 3-0.
Group E: Haryana v Bihar 3-0, West Bengal v Kerala 3-0; W. Bengal against Haryana 3-0, Kerala against Bihar 3-0.
Group F: Delhi v Punjab 3-0, Gujarat v Nagaland 3-0; Delhi vs. Gujarat 3-0, Punjab vs. Nagaland 3-0.
Group G: Karnataka v Chhattisgarh 3-0, Assam v Pondicherry 3-0; Karnataka vs Assam 3:2, Pondicherry vs Chhattisgarh 3:2.
Group H: UP v Uttarakhand 3-0, Odisha v J&K 3-0; UP vs Odisha 3-2, Uttarakhand vs J&K 3-0.
