Cuttack: Host India made a complete sweep in the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Chapionships, which concluded here on Monday. India lifted 7 gold medals in the international TT event.
Indian peddlers topped the medals tally with 7 gold, 5 silver and 3 bronze. England (2 silver, 3 bronze) were second ahead of Singapore (6 bronze), Malaysia and Nigeria (1 bronze each).
Harmit Desai and Ayhika Mukherjee won the men’s and women’s singles titles for India.
Twenty six year old Harmeet beat favourite G Sathiyan 4-3 (9-11 6-11 11-5 11-8 17-15 7-11 11-9 in a hard-fought final to claim the men’s singles title. Harmeet made a surprise comeback, after being down 0-2 initially, to outwit Sathiyan in a marathon seven game contest.
Ayhika won the women singles, her maiden gold in the chapionships, trouncing former national champion Madurika Patkar in 4-0 (11-6 11-4 11-9 19-17).
Earlier in the day, Anthony Amalraj and Manav Thakkar claimed the men’s doubles gold by stunning top seeds Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal 3-1 (8-11 11-6 13-11 12-10).
In women doubles, Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krittwika Sinha Roy defeated compatriots Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul 3-1 (11-9 11-8 9-11 12-10) to claim the crown.
Interestingly, no paddler could replicate their gold-winning performance in other events.
The domination of home paddlers could be gauged from the fact that all finals Monday featured only the Indians.
Results Details:
Final: Harmeet Desai beat G Sathiyan 9-11 6-11 11-5 11-8 17-15 7-11 11-9.
Semifinals: G Sathiyan beat Thomas Jarvis (ENG) 16-14 11-6 11-7 11-9; Harmeet Desai beat Pang Yu En Koen (SGP) 10-12 11-3 11-6 11-6 11-2.
Women Singles:
Final: Ayhika Mukherjee beat Madhurika Patkar 11-6 11-4 11-9 19-17.
Semifinals: Ayhika Mukherjee beat Ho Tin-Tin (ENG) 11-6 11-6 7-11. 11-4 11-4; Madhurika Patkar beat Sreeja Akula 11-8 11-9 9-11 11-8 14-12.
Men Doubles:
Final: A Amalraj and Manav Thakkar beat A Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan 8-11 11-6 13-11 12-10.
Semifinals: A. Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan beat Pang Yu En Koen and Chua Shao Han Josh (SGP) 12-10 11-4 14-12; A Amalraj and Manav Thakkar beat Samuel Walker and Thomas Jarvis (ENG) 11-9 8-11 11-6 11-5.
Women Doubles:
Final: Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krtittwika Sinha Roy beat Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul 11-9 11-8 9-11 12-10.
Semifinals: Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krtittwika Sinha Roy beat Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru (SGP) 11-7 12-10 11-9; Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul beat Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee 11-8 11-8 11-6.
