Maharashtra men dominate, Karnataka joins party

By Narendra Bhale

Indore (Team Newsbuddy): Maharashtra reigned supreme in the team events at the UTT 31st Masters Table Tennis National Championships here at the Abhay Prashal Indoor Hall, claiming multiple gold medals and showcasing their depth of talent across various age categories on the second day.

However, Karnataka A emerged victorious after Maharashtra withdrew from the round-robin league of the Men’s 80+ division. Delhi A, which suffered its only defeat against Karnataka, secured the silver medal, while Telangana and Gujarat A climbed the podium to share the bronze. Maharashtra’s absence from this category cleared the way for the remaining teams to battle it out, with Karnataka ultimately standing tall.

In the Men’s 75+ final, Maharashtra A delivered a commanding performance, defeating Chandigarh A 3-0 to clinch the gold. The duo of Satish B. Kulkarni and Sampat Pinakin outclassed their opponents, Patanjali Kumar and Balbir Singh Virdi, in straight games in the singles rubbers, setting the stage for an equally dominant doubles victory. The Maharashtra pair then teamed up to secure another clean 3-0 win in the doubles match, underlining their superior skill and coordination. Earlier in the semifinals, Maharashtra faced a stern challenge from Gujarat, edging past them 3-2 in a tense contest, while Chandigarh eased to a 3-1 win over Tamil Nadu to set up the final clash.

Maharashtra’s winning streak continued in the Men’s 70+ category, where they blanked Delhi A 3-0 to add another gold to their tally. Jitendra Mavanai gave the team an early lead with a straight-game win over Vineet Chaudhry, delivering a composed and clinical performance. Shivanand Kundaje then battled against Suresh Kumar in a gruelling five-game match, ultimately prevailing in the decider to put Maharashtra within touching distance of gold. The doubles pair of Percy Mehta and Jitendra sealed the victory, overcoming a slow start to take the next three games and complete a perfect sweep. Earlier, Maharashtra had outclassed Karnataka 3-0 in the semifinals, while Delhi had to dig deep to edge out Madhya Pradesh 3-2 in an intense encounter.

The Men’s 65+ team continued Maharashtra’s dominance with another comprehensive 3-0 triumph over Delhi A in the final. Jayant Kulkarni opened proceedings with a strong 3-1 win, recovering from a tight opening deuce game to overpower Ashutosh with aggressive and controlled play. Avinash Joshi secured a 3-1 triumph over Anil Kumar, maintaining Maharashtra’s momentum. In the third tie, Umesh Kumbhojkar faced stiff resistance from Narender Singh but managed to find his rhythm, taking control in the final stages to wrap up the contest. Maharashtra bested Tamil Nadu 3-1 in the semifinals, while Delhi secured their place in the final with a hard-fought 3-1 victory over West Bengal.

Results (Team):

Men’s 65+: Final: Maharashtra A bt Delhi A 3-0 (Jayant Kulkarni bt Ashutosh Kumar 14-16, 11-4, 11-2, 11-3, Avinash Joshi bt Anil Kumar Goel 11-9, 11-6, 5-11, 11-6, Umesh Vithal Kumbhojkar bt Narender Singh Rawat 6-11, 11-8, 11-9, 9-11, 11-3).

Semifinals: Delhi A bt West Bengal 3-1; Maharashtra A bt Tamil Nadu A 3-1.

Men’s 70+: Final: Maharashtra A bt Delhi A 3-0 (Jitendra Mavani bt Vineet Chaudhry 11-5, 14-12, 11-6, Shivanand Kundaje bt Suresh Kumar 11-5, 10-12, 11-6, 9-11, 11-7, Percy Mehta/Jitendra bt Vineet/Suresh 12-14, 11-8, 11-6, 12-10).

Semifinals: Maharashtra A bt Karnataka 3-0; Delhi A bt Madhya Pradesh 3-2.

Men’s 75+: Final: Maharashtra A bt Chandigarh A 3-0 (B. Satish Kulkarni bt Patanjali Kumar 12-10, 11-6, 11-7, Sampat Pinakin bt Balbir Singh Virdi 11-6, 11-5, 11-6, Sataish/Sampat bt Patanjali/Balbir 11-5, 11-9, 11-7).

Semifinals: Chandigarh bt Tamil Nadu 3-1; Maharashtra A bt Gujarat A 3-2.

Men’s 80+: 1. Karnataka A, 2. Delhi A, 3. Telangana and 3. Gujarat A.