Athlead Goa Challengers Secure Back-to-Back Ultimate Table Tennis Titles with Dominant Finale

Harmeet Desai and Yangzi Liu spearheaded Athlead Goa Challengers to a historic 8-2 victory over Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 final, marking the first successful title defense. Both players had standout performances, with Yangzi going undefeated and earning MVP honors.

In a thrilling showcase of skill and determination, Harmeet Desai and Yangzi Liu led the Athlead Goa Challengers to an 8-2 victory over Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis 2024 final at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Saturday. This triumph made them the first team to successfully defend their title in the league's history.

Both Desai and Liu excelled, winning their respective singles matches before sealing the mixed doubles, setting the stage for the Athlead Goa Challengers' victorious march to their second consecutive title. Desai was recognized as the Indian Player of the Tie, while Liu, who remained undefeated throughout the season, was named the Foreign Player of the Tie and the league's Most Valuable Player (MVP) among female players. Among the men, Sathiyan Gnanasekaran claimed the MVP title, and Alvaro Robles of PBG Bengaluru Smashers was lauded as the Super Server of the League.

This season's Shot of the League was awarded to Achanta Sharath Kamal, while the ACT Fibernet Fastest Rally of the League honor went to Lily Zhang and Yashini Sivashankar. The final was a culmination of a challenging season for the Athlead Goa Challengers, who barely made it to the semi-finals, ending the league stages in fourth place. However, they dominated the final, with Desai clinching an early win, followed by Liu's straight-sets victory. The pair's mixed doubles triumph put them on the verge of victory, and Mihai Bobocica's win in the second men's singles sealed their historic win.

(With inputs from agencies.)