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Delhi youngster Manika Batra made merry in the women’s team final of the 74th Senior National Table Tennis Championship being held in Raipur.
The 17-year-old, who holds a world ranking outside the top-200, put up a stellar show, winning two scintillating matches as Delhi pulled off their maiden team crown with a magnificent 3-1 win over red-hot favourites Petroleum.
Manika started proceedings on a bright note, putting it across Pooja Sahasrabudhe 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9 after tamely losing the opening game.
The youngster then went on to overcome Ankita Das in straight games 15-13, 11-8, 11-2. Olympian Neha Agarwal, earlier, got the better of Ankita 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9 before K Shamini produced the lone win for Petroleum against Riti Shankar.
The women’s team event was bit of a dream run for Delhi, who earlier showed the championship exit door to redoubtable West Bengal and later reigning champions Maharashtra ‘A’.
Petroleum were made to pay a heavy price for resting National champion Poulomi Ghatak and employing the services of K. Shamini for only one singles rubber.
It may be mentioned here that Delhi men had last won the national team title as hosts of the 1983 edition.
Petroleum adopted a similar strategy in their men’s team final against West Bengal, resting India’s top-ranked men’s singles player Achanta Sharath Kamal but the move not to play him did not backfire.
The likes of Olympian Soumyajit Ghosh, National champion A. Amalraj and former champion Soumyadeep Roy more than made up for his absence as Petroleum eased past West Bengal 3-0 in a lop-sided final.
Results (Team championship finals):
Men: Petroleum beat West Bengal 3-0 (Soumyajit Ghosh bt Sourav Saha 12-10, 11-5, 11-8; A. Amalraj bt Sougatha Sarkar 11-5, 11-9, 11-5; Soumyadeep Roy bt Souvik Kar 11-3, 11-4, 5-11, 11-4).
Women: Delhi beat Petroleum 3-1 (Manika Batra bt Pooja Sahasrabudhe 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, 11-9; Neha Aggarwal bt Ankita Das 11-13, 12-10, 11-5, 11-9; Riti Shankar lost to K. Shamini 8-11, 6-11, 11-13; Manika bt Ankita 15-13, 11-8, 11-2).
Final placing:
Men: 1. Petroleum, 2. West Bengal, 3-4. Haryana, Gujarat.
Women: 1. Delhi, 2. Petroleum, 3-4. Maharashtra ‘A’, Tamil Nadu.
