Indore: PSPB paddlers Manav Thakkar and Yashaswini Ghorpade clinched their maiden singles titles at the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships, delivering standout performances at the Abhay Prasal Stadium.
In the men’s final, top seed Manav lived up to expectations with a commanding 4-1 victory over Jeet Chandra. The PSPB star dominated from the outset, racing through the opening two games with ease. Although Jeet briefly pushed back to take the third game, he struggled to replicate the sharp form that carried him through the semifinals. Manav quickly regained control, sealing the contest 11-3 in the fifth game to cap off an emphatic title run.
The women’s final delivered everything you’d expect from a title clash: intensity, momentum swings, and a finish that kept everyone on edge till the very last point. Finally, Yashaswini etched her name into the record books, clinching her title with a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the young and fearless Syndrela Das.
Yashaswini started with authority, taking the opening game 11-6, but the 16-year-old Das quickly showed she was no pushover. She edged a tense second game 14-12, setting the tone for what would become a see-saw battle. The two traded blows through the middle phase—Yashaswini’s controlled aggression earned her the third, and Syndrela responded with resilience to claim the fourth.
As the match wore on, the physical and mental stakes grew higher. Ghorpade inched ahead again with a narrow 13-11 fifth game, but Das refused to fade, dominating the sixth 11-6 to force a decider. With the title on the line, it was Ghorpade’s composure that made the difference. She held her nerve in crucial rallies, closing out the final game 11-8 to seal a memorable victory.
For Ghorpade, this triumph marks a breakthrough moment—a first championship earned through grit and consistency under pressure. For Syndrela Das, despite the defeat, the performance was a statement of immense promise, pushing an experienced opponent to the absolute limit in a final that showcased both present excellence and the future of the sport.
Manav booked his place in the final with a dominant straight-games win over former national champion Harmeet Desai, controlling rallies throughout with sharp, attacking play. In the other men’s semifinal, Jeet overcame Ronit Bhanja in a hard-fought seven-game battle. After letting an early lead slip, Jeet regained composure in the decider to seal victory.
Yashaswini showed resilience in her semifinal, bouncing back after dropping the first game to defeat Suhana Saini with four games in a row. But the other semifinal provided the most dramatic moment of the day, as teenager Syndrela stunned defending champion Diya Chitale in a pulsating encounter. The WB paddler came out fearlessly, surging ahead early and putting the experienced Diya under pressure with her aggressive play. However, Diya responded like a seasoned campaigner, fighting back to push the match into a decider and even taking a strong lead, moving ahead 7-3 and then reaching 10-8, just a couple of points from victory.
Despite being on the brink, Syndrela displayed exceptional composure beyond her years. She stayed calm in the tense closing moments, turning defence into attack and capitalising on small openings. With nerves of steel, the youngster overturned the deficit and clinched the decider 13-11, completing a remarkable comeback and eliminating the defending champion in a thrilling finish.
Across both draws, the semifinals highlighted a blend of control and composure under pressure, with experienced players asserting dominance while emerging talents showcased their ability to challenge the established order.
Ankur-Suhana win gold
In a gripping Mixed Doubles final, Ankur Bhattacharjee (WB) and Suhana Saini (Haryana) edged past the West Bengal pair of Aniket Bose and Sampriti Roy in a thrilling five-game contest, winning 3-2. The WB-Haryana duo started strong, taking the first two games with controlled aggression, but Bose and Roy mounted a spirited comeback, clinching the next two—including a tense 15-13 fourth game—to force a decider. In the final game, both pairs traded points under intense pressure, but Ankur and Suhana held their nerve in the closing moments to seal a narrow 12-10 victory and claim the title.
Divyanshi bags Vishwa Trophy
Divyanshi Bhowmick was awarded the D. Vishwa Trophy, presented to a promising young player for outstanding performance at the Senior Nationals. She delivered an impressive campaign, reaching the quarterfinals and pushing defending champion Diya Chitale to the brink in a closely contested match yesterday.
Divyanshi won the Under-15 singles gold at the Asian Youth Championships, in addition to claiming the Under-19 title at the ITTF Youth World Championships last year.
Results:
Men’s Singles: Final: Manav Thakkar (PSPB) bt Jeet Chandra (RSPB) 11-2, 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 11-3.
Semifinals: Manav bt Harmeet Desai (PSPB) 11-8, 11-5, 11-7, 11-6; Jeet bt Ronit Bhanja (RSPB) 11-8, 11-5, 8-11, 11-4, 7-11, 7-11, 11-7.
Women’s Singles: Final: Yashaswini Ghoropde (PSPB) bt Syndrela Das (PSPB) 11-6, 12-14, 11-5, 9-11, 13-11, 6-11, 11-8.
Semifinals: Yashaswini bt Suhana Saini (Har) 6-11, 11-5, 11-9, 11-8, 11-3; Syndrela bt Diya Chitale (RBI) 7-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-9, 3-11, 3-11, 13-11.
Mixed Doubles:Â Final: Ankur Bhattacharjee/Suhana Saini (WB-Har) bt Aniket Bose/Sampriti Roy (WB) 11-9, 11-7, 9-11, 13-15, 12-10.
Semifinals: Ankit/Sampriti bt Ronit Bhanja/Kaushani Nath (RSPB) 7-11, 11-9, 12-10, 8-11, 11-7; Ankur/Suhana bt Akash Pal/Poymantee Baisya (RSPB) 11-4, 8-11, 11-7, 8-11, 11-9.
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