TT: Maharashtra teams sweep four out of 8 titles

Women from Karnataka (40+) and West Bengal (50+) claimed the team championships in the only two categories they competed.

The domination of Maharashtra was more than clear even before they had entered the arena, thanks to a 132-strong contingent they had brought for the championships. In fact, their men and women had entered six out of eight finals and creditably won 50 percent of titles on offer.

No doubt Maharashtra’s rich club culture has contributed to this large share of medals but it must be said to the credit of the players in Categories between 40 plus and 65 plus for keeping themselves up to the task and, more importantly, fit enough to tackle their opponents.

For instance, in Category 50+ Maharashtra beat Delhi A 3-2 in a tough battle with the latter not yielding even an inch and taking the issue to the last rubber. But for this, all the three other titles were sewn up by Maharashtra with relative weak opponents. In Category 60+, Maharashtra’s A team took on its B team and it didn’t matter ultimately as one of them had to lose the title.

But the final of the day was undoubtedly between Delhi and Maharashtra, which was led by Sunil Babras. Though the former national champion managed to give Maharashtra 1-0 lead, he was crucial in the state’s success. But he was cleaned up quickly by Ajay Jha of Delhi in the fourth singles which gave the latter a fresh breath of life. But Vivek, playing the last rubber, made it a one-sided affair winning it in straight games.

Both the 70+ and 75+ finals went down to the wire with Madhya Pradesh overcoming a stiff Maharahtra 3-2 and then Tamil Nadu beating a determined Karnataka 3-2, respectively.

In women’s affair, Karnataka won the battle against West Bengal after one of their players, Amrit Paul, conceded the match owing to illness. Yet one cannot take the credit away from Karnataka for the way their women fought to keep them in medal reckoning. However, West Bengal women made amends by winning the 50+ category title beating Maharashtra A 3-1.

Later in the day, the veterans begin their singles titles’ pursuit with the 50+ qualifying rounds.

Results: (Team Events):
Men:
Category 40-plus: Final: Maharashtra A bt IA&AD 3-1 (Nitin Toshniwal bt Santhann Banerjee 15-13, 11-5, 12-10, Upendera Mulye lost to Sumit Biswas 8-11, 10-12, 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, Manish Rawat bt Santosh Kunlwarkar 11-4, 11-5, 11-7, Upendra Mulye bt Santhann Banerjee 11-7, 11-6, 11-8); Semifinals: IA&AD bt Delhi A 3-2, Maharashtra A bt Punjab A 3-1; (QF): Delhi A bt West Bengal 3-0, IA*AD bt J&K 3-1, Maharashtra A bt Gujarat A 3-2, Punjab A bt Delhi B 3-0.
Category 50-plus: Final: Maharashtra A bt Delhi A 3-2 (Sunil Babras bt Sanjay Vashisht 11-4, 11-5, 11-7, Vivek bt Ajay Jha 11-3, 11-6, 7-11, 11-6, Atma Ram lost to Sushil Tekchandani 11-4, 6-11, 11-9, 7-11, 8-11, Sunil Babras lost to Ajay Jha 6-11, 7-11, 8-11, Vivek bt Sanjay Vashisht 11-3, 11-4, 11-8); Semifinals: Maharashtra A bt Maharashtra B 3-1, Delhi A bt Punjab A 3-0; (QF): Maharashtra A bt West Bengal B 3-0, Maharashtra B bt IA&AS 3-0, Delhi A bt Maharashtra D 3-0, Punjab A bt IA*AD 3-1.
Category 60-plus: Final: Maharashtra A bt Maharashtra B 3-1 (Suhas B. Kulkarni bt Yogesh Desai 11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-9, Prakash Kelkar bt Deepakah 8-11, 4-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-3, Jayant Kulkarni lost to Ulhas  11-9, 11-6m 8-11, 9-11, 9-11, Prakash Kelkar bt Yogesh Desai 11-5, 11-4, 11-8); Semifinals: Maharashtra B bt Tamil Nadu A 3-0, Maharashtra A bt West Bengal A 3-1; (QF): Maharashtra B bt Delhi A 3-0, Tamil Nadu A bt West Bengal B 3-0, West Bengal A bt Punjab 3-0, Maharashtra A bt Madhya Pradesh 3-0.
Category 65-plus: Final: Maharashtra A bt Maharashtra B 3-0 (Satish K bt Dilip K 11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, Pinakin S bt Baig M.A. 10-12, 11-7, 12-10, 11-4, A.M. Waninkar bt G. Sawant 10-12, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3, 11-6); Semifinals: Maharashtra A bt West Bengal 3-1, Maharashtra B bt Gujarat 3-2; (QF): Maharashtra A bt Chandigarh 3-0, West Bengal bt Tamil Nadu 3-1, Maharashtra B bt Madhya Pradesh 3-2, Gujarat bt Telangana 3-1.
Category 70-Plus: Final: Madhya Pradesh bt Maharashtra 3-2 (RP Malaviya lost to AS Shaikh 9-11, 11-6, 7-11, 11-13, IG Purohit bt SV Deshpande 8-11, 11-1, 10-12, 11-4, 11-6, Malaviya/Purohit bt Shaikh/Deshpande 11-4, 11-5, 7-11, 11-6, IG Purohit bt AS Shaikh 13-11, 11-6, 11-7); Semifinals: Madhya Pradesh bt Karnataka 3-0, Maharashtra A bt Gujarat 3-0; (QF): Maharashtra bt Goa 3-0, Gujarat bt Tamil Nadu 3-2, Karnataka bt West Bengal 3-1, Madhya Pradesh bt Delhi 3-1. 
Category 75-Plus: Final: Tamil Nadu bt Karnataka 3-2 (Sri Ram bt K.Satyanarain 3-11, 12-10, 11-6, 3-11, 8-11, Rajagopal bt BU Krishnamurty 15-13, 11-8, 8-11, 9-11, 11-5, Sri Ram/Rajasgopal lost to Satyanarain/Krishnamurty 11-5, 13015, 10-12, 11-9, 15-17, Rajagopal bt K. Satiyanarain 6-11, 11-4, 11-9, 11-9, Sri Ram bt BU Krishnamurty 11-3, 11-8, 11-6); Semifinals: Tamil Nadu bt Delhi 3-1, Karnataka bt Maharashtra 3-1.
Women:
Category 40-plus Final: Karnataka bt West Bengal 3-2 (Deepali Ghotadte bt Kuntali Bhattacharya 11-5,11-8, 11-6, Ansa Mary George lost to Meenu Basak 5-11, 3-11, 4-11, Mamtha Jayram bt Amrit Paul (match conceded), Deepali Ghotadte lost to Meenu Basak 4-11, 3-11, 7-11, Ansa Mary George bt Kuntali Bhattacharya 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 7-11, 11-9); Semifinals: Karnataka bt Madhya Pradesh 3-2, West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-2; (QF): Karnataka bt Gujarat 3-1, Madhya Pradesh bt North Bengal 3-1, Maharashtra bt Air India 3-0, West Bengal bt RBI 3-2.
Category 50-plus Final: West Bengal bt Maharashtra A 3-1 (Mantu Murmu bt Neeta 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-8, Kasabi Maity lost to Suhasini 5-11, 9-11, 9-11, Moodira Sur bt Rajeshwari 11-8, 11-4, 11-6, Mantu Murmu bt Suhasini 11-2, 11-9, 11-5); Semifinals: Maharashtra A bt Madhya Pradesh 3-2, West Bengal bt Maharashtra B 3-1; (QF): Maharashtra A bt Tamil Nadu 3-0, Madhya Pradesh bt Chandigarh 3-0, Maharashtra B bt Karnataka 3-2, West Bengal bt Gujarat 3-0.