DAY 5
Face2News/Chandigarh
The RBI@90 51st Institutional Table Tennis Championships, held at Panjab University’s Gymnasium Hall, delivered unexpected twists as top-seeded players were ousted by emerging talents. The event saw intense competition and highlighted the rise of promising youngsters in Indian table tennis.
In a major upset, men’s top seed Harmeet Desai was eliminated in the Round of 32 by 17-year-old Kushal Chopda, who showcased exceptional skill and composure. On the women’s side, fourth seed Sutirtha Mukherjee faced an unexpected defeat at the hands of Vanshika Mudgal of FCI, another rising star.
The pre-quarterfinals saw a mix of expected victories and dramatic comebacks. Swastika Ghosh of AAI stunned second seed Ayhika Mukherjee, while Shriya Anand of Tamil Nadu staged a remarkable recovery from a 0-2 deficit to beat Maria Rony of Canara Bank 3-2.
RBI’s Sreeja Akula displayed resilience by saving two match points against former national champion Madhurika Patkar before advancing to the quarterfinals with a commanding win over Kaushani Nath. In the men’s draw, Payas Jain’s early lead wasn’t enough to fend off a determined Akash Pal, who clinched a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
RBI’s Sreeja Akula displayed resilience by saving two match points against former national champion Madhurika Patkar before advancing to the quarterfinals with a commanding win over Kaushani Nath. In the men’s draw, Payas Jain’s early lead wasn’t enough to fend off a determined Akash Pal, who clinched a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
KEY PRE-QUARTERFINAL RESULTS
• Sourav Saha (PSPB) def. Kushal Chopda (Mah) 3-0 , • Akash Pal (RSPB) def. Payas Jain (Del) 3-2 • Raj Mondal (RBI) def. Jeet Chandra (RSPB) 3-0• Manav Thakkar (PSPB) def. Jash Modi (Mah) 3-0 • Manush Shah (RBI) def. Anthony Amalraj (PSPB) 3-1, • SFR Snehit (IA&AD) def. Ronit Bhanja (RSPB) 3-2• Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) def. Sudhanshu Grover (Del) 3-2 • G. Sathiyan (PSPB) def. P.B. Abhinand (TN) 3-1
WOMEN SINGLES
• Sreeja Akula (RBI) def. Kaushani Nath (RSPB) 3-0 • Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) def. Pelf (Chd) 3-0
• Diya Chitale (RBI) def. Sreeja Akula (RBI) 3-0 • Reeth Rishya (PSPB) def. Vanshika Mudgal (FCI) 3-0
• Taneesha Kotecha (Mah) def. Poymantee Baisya (RSPB) 3-1 • Krittwika Sinha Roy (PSPB) def. Selena Deepti Selvakumar (CRSB) 3-1 • Shriya Anand (TN) def. Maria Rony (CB) 3-2 • Swastika Ghosh (AAI) def. Ayhika Mukherjee (RBI) 3-2
The tournament continues to showcase the dynamic talent and determination of players from across the country. With thrilling matches and unexpected outcomes, fans can expect more excitement as the championships progress.