Senior National TT: Powerhouses PSPB, RSPB start strongly

Traditional powerhouses PSPB and RSPB started their campaign in the 87th UTT Senior National Table Tennis Championships with dominant victories, moving closer to the knockout stage here on Saturday.

In the men’s section, PSPB set the early pace in Group A with convincing 3–0 victories over Andhra Pradesh and Punjab.

Later, RSPB asserted control in Group B, defeating Rajasthan 3–1 before brushing aside Gujarat 3–0.

West Bengal also made an impressive start in Group C with back-to-back 3–1 wins over Uttarakhand and Odisha, while Telangana topped Group D after beating Chhattisgarh 3–0 and Madhya Pradesh 3–1.

The closest contest of the day came in Group E, where Delhi edged Maharashtra 3–2 in a gripping contest.

Delhi had taken the initial lead, but Maharashtra fought back strongly.

The turning point came in the fourth rubber when Kushal Chopda defeated Sudhanshu Grover 11–6 5–11 11–6 8–11 13–11 in a tense five-game battle, levelling the tie at 2–2 and forcing a decider.

Chopda’s effort was particularly notable as he won both his singles on the day, keeping Maharashtra firmly in the contest.

With the tie hanging in balance, the decisive fifth rubber saw Shivjit Singh Lamba deliver under pressure for Delhi.

He overcame Anish Sontakke 11–6 13–11 12–10 to clinch the match and seal a hard-fought 3–2 victory.

Mizoram and Assam dominated Group F with clean sweeps, while Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu advanced smoothly in Group G with emphatic 3–0 results.

Haryana and Karnataka also opened their campaigns strongly in Group H with convincing wins.

The women’s team event followed a similar pattern, with the stronger teams asserting early control.

The PSPB, RBI, and Maharashtra all registered successive 3–0 victories to underscore their strength, while Tamil Nadu dominated Group C with wins over Meghalaya and Andhra Pradesh.

West Bengal and Delhi also impressed with comfortable victories in their respective groups.

There were a few closely fought ties as well, notably Karnataka’s narrow 3–2 victory over Assam and Uttar Pradesh’s hard-earned 3–2 win against Odisha, adding a touch of drama to otherwise one-sided early rounds.

Meanwhile, the men’s and women’s teams from Ladakh are yet to begin their campaign after arriving a day late owing to flight cancellation.