Indore, January 20: Even when a state gets 75 percent of its composition right in team championship events, it invariably ends up on the winning side. If you are cent percent accurate with the selection of your team, it leaves room for no other lineup whatsoever.
That is what the state of Maharashtra has done for the 85th UTT Cadet and Sub-Junior National Table Tennis Championships, getting underway tomorrow at the Abhay Prashal Indoor Stadium.
After their boys finished a disappointing fifth position, Maharashtra would want to shore up their expectations and satiate their appetite with no less than the gold medals. And you can bet that the job is in the capable hands of Divyanshi Bhowmick, Riana Bhoota, Kavya Bhatt, and Ishika Umate, such a formidable bench strength which other contenders would only dream about or envy.
Under the circumstances, the job of other top teams like West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Delhi, who are sure shots to finish on the podium, becomes difficult, if not impossible. Yet, Bengal has two brightest youngsters, Syndrela Das and Ankolika Chakraborty, who can provide a twist to the tale. The former made waves across sections in the 2023 season, and it should worry even Maharashtra. But the two alone cannot achieve a wholesome result and would need the support of Prateeti Paul and Aarush Nandi.
In comparison, Tamil Nadu has a better lineup in M. Hansini, Ananaya Muralidharan, Nandhini Reena Balaji, and Yavanika Harimakeshwaran. The first three are seasoned campaigners and must share the team load. But for Tamil Nadu to win a medal, Hansini would be the go-to player for the state. Delhi will look up to Avisha Karmakar, Prisha Goel and Dhaani Jain to elevate their position with Tushti Sood. However, the job will be easier said than done.
The dark horse in the championships will be Kolkata’s National Centre of Excellence (NCOE), thanks to Ranjini Saha. She is their best bet, but the loner cannot accomplish much other than winning her two singles. Most teams sail in a similar boat and rely on one or two players, putting an extra burden on them. Besides, it also points to the need for steady supply lines from all states and grooming players with much-needed exposure at this level.
The Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy is on track but still in its infancy. Maybe, a few years from now, the PSPBA and NCOE can prove themselves and hold the mirror to those lacking imagination.
However, the individuals get the opportunities to prove and shine in the singles and doubles. They need not feel despair, as they are in the thick of the championships. The group qualification events in Under-13 and Under-15 will also start tomorrow.
Competition Manager N. Ganeshan said T.G. Upadhaya, as referee for the championships, will continue with his deputies, Mangesh Mopker and K.R. Manjunatha. They all will rely on 50 other technical officials, including Blue Badge and International umpires.
Team Groupings:
Group A: Maharashtra, Pondicherry, PSPBA; Group B: West Bengal, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan (TTFI-1); Group C: Tamil Nadu, Goa, Uttarakhand, Daman & Diu; Group D: Delhi, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, J & K; Group E: Chandigarh, Kerala, Assam, Punjab; Group F: Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh; Group G: Gujarat, NCOE, Rajasthan (TTFI-2), Bihar; Group H: Karnataka, Telangana, Jharkhand, Meghalaya.
