Indore: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) men reinforced their long-standing supremacy with a clinical title win while Reserve Bank of India (RBI) reclaimed the women’s trophy after two years at the Senior Table Tennis National Championships here on Tuesday.
PSPB men added yet another trophy to their already swelling cupboard, outclassing West Bengal 3-0 in a commanding display.
The tie, however, began with a competitive edge as Payas Jain overcame Ankur Bhattacharjee in four games. Payas edged a tense opener 12-10 and took control with an 11-4 second game, before Ankur bounced back strongly to claim the third 11-1.
Just as momentum seemed to shift, Payas steadied himself under pressure, closing out the fourth 11-9 to hand PSPB the early lead.
From there, PSPB paddlers tightened their grip.
Manav Thakkar, India’s top-ranked paddler in the world (No. 34), showcased his class against Aniket Sen Choudhury.
After surviving a closely fought first game 15-13, Manav imposed himself with authority, racing through the next two games 11-5, 11-5. His aggressive backhand returns and controlled rallies left little room for resistance, putting PSPB firmly on the brink.
The third rubber provided the final flourish, though not without resistance.
Harmeet Desai looked in complete control early, cruising through the first two games 11-4, 11-2 against Bodhisatwa Chaudhury. He even held a commanding 9-3 lead in the third, but the Bengal paddler staged a spirited fightback, taking that game 11-9 and following it up with an 11-6 win to force a decider.
Harmeet, however, drew on his experience in the fifth, holding his nerve in crucial rallies to seal it 11-8 and complete a comprehensive 3-0 triumph for PSPB.
In contrast, the women’s final was a rollercoaster that went down to the wire. RBI edged PSPB 3-2 in a contest defined by momentum swings and clutch performances.
