Athlead Goa Challengers Triumph Over Chennai Lions in Thrilling UTT 2024 Tie

Sharath Kamal led Athlead Goa Challengers to a 9-6 victory over Chennai Lions in the UTT 2024, propelling them to the second spot. Harmeet Desai and Yangzi Liu showcased stellar performances, while Sakura Mori remained undefeated. PBG Bengaluru Smashers also won, defeating Ahmedabad SG Pipers 9-6.

Achanta Sharath Kamal electrified the home crowd by defeating Mihai Bobocica as Athlead Goa Challengers secured a 9-6 victory over Chennai Lions in a fiercely contested Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) 2024 match at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai on Saturday. This win propelled Athlead Goa Challengers to joint second place on the league table with 29 points, placing Chennai Lions in fourth with 25 points.

Kamal's dominant performance secured a 2-1 (11-6, 11-10, 6-11) win over his Italian opponent, although Bobocica managed to snatch a point from the veteran Indian star. The franchise-based league, promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani and under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), saw intense competition as Sakura Mori clinched a close victory over Yangzi Liu 2-1 (11-9, 11-9, 9-11), keeping her undefeated streak alive this season.

Liu teamed up with Harmeet Desai for the mixed doubles, delivering an impressive performance that outplayed the combination of Sharath and Sakura with a 3-0 (11-9, 11-10, 11-7) score. Desai further solidified Athlead Goa's advantage by claiming his second tie victory against Jules Rolland 2-1 (6-11, 11-7, 11-5). Yashaswini Ghorpade achieved a notable victory by defeating veteran Mouma Das 2-1 (11-5, 11-8, 3-11).

In a parallel contest, Bernadette Szocs's win over Manika Batra in a high-octane women's singles match was not enough for the Ahmedabad SG Pipers, as PBG Bengaluru Smashers edged them out 9-6. The Bengaluru team now leads the league table with 41 points. Lilian Bardet's initial win over Anthony Amalraj 2-1 (11-9, 11-10, 10-11) set the tone, followed by Bernadette and Manush Shah's mixed doubles victory.

Alvaro Robles's sweep of the men's singles match against Shah brought PBG Bengaluru Smashers back into contention. Lily Zhang sealed the victory by blanking Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-5, 11-8, 11-10). Yangzi Liu was named the Foreign player of the tie, while Harmeet Desai was the Indian player of the tie.

IndianOil UTT 2024 is broadcast live on Sports18 Khel and streamed on JioCinema (India) and Facebook Live (Outside India). Tickets are available on BookMyShow and at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.

(With inputs from agencies.)