Ahmedabad SG Pipers Clinch Maiden Victory in Ultimate Table Tennis 2024

Captain Manush Shah steered debutants Ahmedabad SG Pipers to their first win in Ultimate Table Tennis 2024, beating reigning champions Athlead Goa Challengers. Frenchman Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs also secured key victories. Elsewhere, U Mumba TT triumphed over Dabang Delhi TTC in a historic win.

Captain Manush Shah led Ahmedabad SG Pipers from the front as the debutants recorded their first win of Ultimate Table Tennis 2024. Shah beat two-time Olympian Mihai Bobocica 2-1 after partnering with Bernadette Szocs to achieve the same scoreline in the mixed doubles, as the team from Ahmedabad overcame reigning champions Athlead Goa Challengers at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

The franchise-based league is promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI). Ahmedabad SG Pipers started strong with an outstanding performance from Frenchman Lilian Bardet, who rebounded from his defeat to 17-year-old Ankur Bhattacharjee with a 3-0 win over Harmeet Desai in the men's singles.

Bernadette Szocs mirrored her teammate's comeback, securing a victory over Yashaswini Ghorpade in the women's singles match. The mixed doubles saw Manush and Szocs outplaying Harmeet and Yangzi Liu for a 2-1 win, ensuring the tie for the Season 5 debutants. Shah's win over Bobocica was pivotal, although Reeth Rishya fell short of enlarging their victory margin against Liu, who maintained her unbeaten streak. Elsewhere, U Mumba TT won their first match over Dabang Delhi TTC 9-6, highlighted by performances from Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manav Thakkar.

Tomorrow's schedule includes Dabang Delhi TTC facing Chennai Lions and U Mumba TT going up against Jaipur Patriots. UTT 2024 is broadcast live on Sports18 Khel and streamed online on JioCinema and Facebook Live. Tickets are available on BookMyShow and at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

(With inputs from agencies.)