Manush and Diya win their first senior national TT titles in Surat

Manush Shah and Diya Chitale won their first national title in the senior table tennis singles in Surat on Sunday (January 26).

In the women's singles final of the 86th Senior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium, 21-year-old Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Diya defeated her teammate Sreeja Akula 4-3 (10-12 ). , 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9) in a thriller. It was a big double for Diya as she had won the women's doubles trophy with Sreeja at the same venue on Saturday.

What Diya and Manush said

It's a great feeling to win my first senior national title. To be honest, it still has to sink in. I am very happy that I was able to convert my last performance into a national title, said Diya The federal one after the victory.

Also read: TN teenagers Abhinandh-Preyesh win TT men's doubles national title in Surat

When asked about her comeback after being 0-2 down in the final, she said, Sreeja is a great player and after being 0-2 down, I told myself to keep fighting and not give up at any point . I knew I had to work for every point, and I just did that, and kept pushing myself until the last match.

“It's a great moment for me to win my first senior national title in my home state. Gujarat has always been a special location for me. The support I got from the fans today made a big difference. After the final, many came to me and congratulated me. It was a happy feeling, and I am very grateful to them,” said Manush The federal one.

Manush gets a reward of Rs 4 lakh

Later, in a double for RBI, Manush had an easy time against Delhi's Payas Jain in the top match for men's singles. The 24-year-old Manush, who hails from Gujarat, and was supported by the home fans, triumphed 4-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8) to win from 0-1. 1.

Also read: Ankur Bhattacharjee: Inspired by Kohli and Hardik, Bengali teen TT star dreams big

Both Manush and Diya received trophies and a check each for Rs 3.2 lakh in prize money.

Left-handed Manush, who hails from Vadodara, was also rewarded with Rs 2.5 lakh from the Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA) and Rs 1.5 lakh from the Table Tennis Association of Baroda (TTAB).

Mixed doubles champions

The mixed doubles event was won by Akash Pal and Poymantee Baisya of Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) against Maharashtra's Jash Modi and Taneesha Kotecha 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-4).

In the men's singles final, Payas initially gained the upper hand by winning the first deuce game. However, Manush quickly turned the tide. He secured the next two matches with ease, taking a 2–1 lead. In a crucial fourth game, Payas briefly recovered to lead 8-4, but a resilient Manush staged a dramatic comeback to take victory on his second game point. With an impressive 3-1 lead, Manush ended the match in style.

It was a tough battle for the women's crown between Diya and Sreeja, who had jointly claimed the doubles title on Saturday.

Sreeja races to a 2-0 lead

Sreeja, a two-time national senior women's singles champion, raced to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven final. However, Diya was in no mood to surrender without a fight and came back brilliantly to win the next three matches and maintain a 3-2 lead.

Now it was Sreeja's turn to rally and won a close sixth game 11-9, and the championship would be decided in the seventh and deciding game.

Sreeja fought valiantly to regain control but Diya held her nerves. At 10-9, Diya's bold and precise return left Sreeja scrambling as her forehand sailed out of bounds. With that, Diya threw her arms to the sky in pure elation and celebrated her first title in a hard-fought and unforgettable final.

Results

Men's singles (Winner prize money: Rs 3.2 lakh; Losing finalist: Rs 1.6 lakh; Losing semi-finalists: Rs 80,000 each)

Final: Manush Shah (RBI) defeated Payas Jain (Delhi) 4-1 (10-12, 11-6, 11-6, 12-10, 11-8).

Semi-finals: Payas defeated Divyan Srivastava (Uttar Pradesh) 4-0 (11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 11-7); Manush defeated Ankur Bhattacharjee (PSPB) 4-0 (13-11, 11-4, 11-9, 12-10).

Ladies singles (Winner prize money: Rs 3.2 lakh; Losing finalist: Rs 1.6 lakh; Losing semi-finalists: Rs 80,000 each)

Final: Diya Chitale (RBI) defeated Sreeja Akula (RBI) 4-3 (10-12, 8-11, 13-11, 12-10, 11-8, 9-11, 11-9).

Semi-finals: Sreeja defeated Yashaswini Ghorpade (PSPB) 4-1 (11-5, 8-11, 11-9, 11-9, 11-9); Diya defeated Syndrela Das (West Bengal) 4-0 (11-8, 11-8, 11-5, 11-6).

Mixed double (Winner prize money: Rs 32,000; Losing finalist: Rs 18,000; Losing semi-finalists: Rs 9,000 each)

Final: Akash Pal/Poymantee Baisya (RSPB) defeated Jash Modi/Taneesha Kotecha (Maharashtra) 3-0 (11-5, 11-6, 11-4).