Pune Witnessed Thrilling Final as Goa Challengers Clinch UTT Season 4 Trophy
Pune, 31st July 2023: Goa Challengers claimed victory in the Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 after a thrilling match against defending champions Chennai Lions at the Shiv Chhatrapati Sports Complex in Mahalunge-Balewadi, Pune. Harmeet Desai and Alvaro Robles played pivotal roles in securing the maiden title for the Goa franchise.
In the final, Harmeet Desai, India’s top-ranked men’s singles paddler, led the way with a 2-1 victory over Benedikt Duda, who had remained undefeated in the league until that point. After losing the first game, Harmeet made an impressive comeback to win the second and then sealed the match in the decider.
Yangzi Liu, the first female paddler to score over 200 points in the league, continued her unbeaten run in Season 4. She defeated Suthasini Sawettabut 2-1, keeping Chennai Lions in the tie.
In the Mixed Doubles match, Chennai Lions’ duo, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Yangzi, defeated Harmeet and Suthasini 2-1, giving their team a 5-4 lead in the tie.
Alvaro Robles played exceptionally well, blanking Indian veteran Sharath Kamal 3-0 in the fourth match to bring Goa Challengers back into contention.
Finally, Goa Challengers’ Reeth secured the decisive eighth point, leading the team to victory in the championship despite losing 1-2 to Sutirtha Mukherjee.
The Goa Challengers’ triumph marked their first title in the league, and they were awarded the sparkling trophy and a cash prize of Rs 75 lakh. The runners-up, Chennai Lions, received Rs 50 lakh for their brilliant performance throughout the season.
Ultimate Table Tennis Season 4 is a franchise-based league promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI).
