Indore, January 16: Justifying their top-seed position, the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy (PSPB-A) boys have entered the pre-quarterfinals of the 85th UTT Sub-Junior and Cadet National Table Tennis Championships at the Abhay Prashal Indoor Stadium, here today.
With a new foreign expert in place, it sounded like a clear warning to the other title contenders in the Under-15 category that they would have to do a lot of homework.
The team had the foresight and courage to tinker with two combinations. So precise was its planning and execution as its boys thrashed Chandigarh and Chhattisgarh 3-0, thanks to Sahil Rawat, Ronald Sarkar, Rushikesh Jagtap and Sarthak Arya. The foreign expert of the team mix-matches with the combines, and they came out with flying colours to make the grade.
In the group qualification race, leaders West Bengal, Telangana, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and Assam more or less sealed their top spots in their respective groups. Though they have a match each for the league engagement to end, the results will hugely alter their fortunes.
However, the last round of group matches will decide the fate of the other teams, including the borderline cases, that can occupy the second spots of their groups.
Hosts Madhya Pradesh is one of the teams going through such a situation. Having beaten Rajasthan (TTFI-2) in their second round, the MP boys have kept their qualification chance intact. Rhythm Gada beat Bhuvanesh Meena 11-8, 11-6, 11-7 to provide the launching pad.
Abu Baker consolidated the position, winning against Moulik Rajawat 11-5, 14-12, 11-6. In the third rubber, the doubles pair of Abu and Bhavyansh made a rough weather before overcoming Yogesh Thanvi and Krishna Purohit to win 7-11, 16-14, 11-4, 9-11, 11-8.
However, they cannot rest on the one-match win laurels as they have to beat Odisha in the last round to take the second spot in Group G. But Odisha, too, will fancy its chance in the group.
Kerala and Rajasthan (TTFI-1), NCOE and Pondicherry, UP and Uttarakhand, Delhi and Punjab, Haryana and Andhra, J & K and Goa in the other groups are sailing in the same boat. As for Group A, the winners of the Chandigarh-Chhattisgarh match will decide who advances to the second stage.
However, qualifier Gujrat from Group G had the match of the day against Odisha, who proved a hard nut to crack. Gujarat began inauspiciously losing their first rubber when Jigyanshu Sahoot beat Malav Panchal 11-4, 11-8, 11-7. But Abhilaksh Patel restored parity, beating Anupam Das 3-11, 11-5, 11-3, 7-11, 11-3.
Gujarat’s doubles duo Sujal Kukadia and Arya Kataria consolidated, downing Jigyanshu and Anupam 10-12, 12-14, 11-7, 11-7, 11-3. But Jigyanshu beat Abhilaksh 12-14, 11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6 to take the issue to the decider. However, Malav made amends for the earlier loss to outplay Anupam 13-11, 11-9, 11-5.
Team Results: U-15 Boys:
(Rounds 1 and 2):
Group A: PSPBA bt Chandigarh 3-0; PSPBA bt Chhattisgarh 3-0.
Group B: West Bengal bt Kerala 3-0, Rajasthan (TTFI-1) bt Meghalaya 3-0; West Bengal bt Rajasthan (TTFI-1) 3-0, Kerala bt Meghalaya 3-0.
Group C: NCOE bt Pondicherry 3-0, Telangana bt Manipur 3-0; Telangana bt NCOE 3-1, Pondicherry bt Manipur 3-0.
Group D: Karnataka bt Uttarakhand 3-1, Uttar Pradesh bt Uttarakhand 3-0; Karnataka bt Uttar Pradesh 3-0, Uttarakhand bt Jharkhand 3-0.
Group E: Tamil Nadu bt Punjab 3-0, Delhi bt Bihar 3-0; Tamil Nadu bt Delhi 3-0, Punjab bt Bihar 3-0.
Group F: Maharashtra bt Haryana 3-0, Andhra Pradesh bt Daman & Diu 3-0; Maharashtra bt Andhra Pradesh 3-0, Haryana bt Daman & Diu 3-0.
Group G: Gujarat bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0, Odisha bt Rajasthan (TTFI-2) 3-0; Gujarat bt Odisha 3-2, Madhya Pradesh bt Rajasthan (TTFI-2) 3-0,
Group H: Jammu & Kashmir bt Goa 3-1, Assam bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0; Assam bt Jammu and Kashmir 3-2, Goa bt Himachal Pradesh 3-0.
