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India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Reigning Champions Dempo Goa Challengers face resolute U Mumba TT in semi-final 2
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 14 (ANI): Reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers will be eyeing a third-straight final appearance when they take on a resolute U Mumba TT in the second semi-final of the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday, as per a release. Back-to-back champions and the only team to have won two UTT titles, Goa finished second in the table with three tie wins and 44 points. U Mumba, who last made the playoffs in Season 3, return to the knockouts after finishing third with two points fewer. The winner of this tie will face first-time finalists Jaipur Patriots in the Grand Finale on Sunday. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena, with tickets available only on BookMyShow. Dempo Goa Challengers have alternated wins and losses throughout the league stage but remain a powerhouse led by Harmeet Desai and the dominant Zeng Jian, who won all five of her matches and dropped just one game across the league phase. Zeng also played a key role in the mixed doubles, partnering Harmeet for two important wins. Harmeet himself has been consistent with four wins from five, while Krittwika Sinha Roy has quietly impressed, winning three of her four matches, including a memorable victory over China's Fan Siqi. Brazil's Vitor Ishiy, brought in as a late replacement for Tiago Apolonia, began his UTT campaign with a win. U Mumba, meanwhile, come in with momentum firmly on their side after back-to-back tie wins. Their foreign unit has clicked into gear with Bernadette Szocs and Lilian Bardet each winning four of their last five singles rubbers. Indian youngster Yashaswini Ghorpade has continued her impressive season, notching three wins from four, while Abhinandh PB turned heads in his first appearance, taking down Singapore's Izaac Quek, one of the league's top foreign paddlers. The Szocs-Akash Pal pairing has also delivered in mixed doubles, winning three out of five. Dempo Goa Challengers and U Mumba did not meet in the league stage, making this their first clash of the season. With both squads stacked with in-form players, the semi-final promises fresh, high-stakes matchups as they battle for a place in the final. Squads Dempo Goa Challengers: Zeng Jian (Singapore), Harmeet Desai, Vitor Ishiy (Brazil), Ronit Bhanja, Krittwika Sinha Roy, Sayali Wani U Mumba: Bernadette Szocs (Romania), Lilian Bardet (France), Yashaswini Ghorpade, Swastika Ghosh, Akash Pal, Abhinandh PB. (ANI)
India Gazette
14-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: U Mumba reach final after incredible comeback win over Dempo Goa Challengers
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 15 (ANI): U Mumba TT staged a dramatic comeback to defeat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers in the second semi-final of IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Saturday. Trailing 4-7, U Mumba won the final four games to clinch an 8-7 victory and book their first-ever spot in the Grand Finale, as per UTT press release. With Goa just one game away from the final and U Mumba needing a clean sweep in the last rubber, Yashaswini Ghorpade rose to the occasion, winning back-to-back games before clinching the decider 11-10 in a nerve-wracking finish. U Mumba now face Jaipur Patriots on Sunday, June 15, guaranteeing a new name on the UTT champions list. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, are taking place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. Harmeet Desai gave Dempo Goa Challengers a strong start with a composed 3-0 win over Lilian Bardet, sealing the third game on Golden Point after Bardet had rallied from 2-6 down. But U Mumba TT hit back through Bernadette Szocs, who handed Zeng Jian her first defeat of the season. Szocs took the first two games with sharp counterplay before Zeng salvaged the third 11-7. In mixed doubles, U Mumba struck back as Akash Pal and Szocs sprang from a 3-6 deficit to seal games one and three, winning their rubber 2-1. That victory trimmed Goa's lead to a slender 5-4 heading into the remaining matches. Vitor Ishiy nearly sealed the tie for Dempo Goa Challengers, racing through the first two games against Abhinandh PB with scores of 11-6 and 11-4. But Abhinandh refused to let U Mumba's campaign end quietly. Down 6-9 in the third, he clawed back with four consecutive points to snatch the game 11-9, keeping his side in the hunt heading into the final match. Yashaswini grabbed the opportunity with both hands thereon, defeating Krittwika Sinha Roy across three close games to propel U Mumba to their maiden UTT final. For her efforts, Yashaswini won both the Indian Player of the Tie and the Shot of the Tie awards, while Szocs claimed the Foreign Player of the Tie honour. Final Scores U Mumba TT 8-7 Dempo Goa Challengers Lilian Bardet lost to Harmeet Desai 0-3 (8-11, 4-11, 10-11) Bernadette Szocs bt. Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-5, 11-9, 7-11) Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9) Abhinandh PB lost to Vitor Ishiy 1-2 (6-11, 4-11, 11-9)Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-10). (ANI)
News18
14-06-2025
- Sport
- News18
Yashaswini-Bernadette Star As U Mumba Win Thrilling UTT Season 6 Semifinal
Last Updated: U Mumba TT staged a dramatic comeback to beat Dempo Goa Challengers 8-7 in the UTT semi-final, securing their first-ever spot in the grand finale. U Mumba TT staged a dramatic comeback to beat reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers in the second semi-final of Ultimate Table Tennis Season 6. Trailing 4-7, Mumbai won the final four games to clinch an 8-7 win against Goa and book their first-ever spot in the grand finale. With Goa just one game away from the final and Mumbai needing a clean sweep in the last rubber, Yashaswini Ghorpade rose to the occasion, winning back-to-back games before clinching the decider 11–10 in a nerve-wracking finish. Mumbai now face the Jaipur Patriots on Sunday, June 15, guaranteeing a new name on the UTT champions list. Harmeet Desai gave Goa a strong start with a composed 3‑0 victory over Lilian Bardet, sealing the third game on golden point after the latter had rallied from 2‑6 down. But Mumbai hit back through Bernadette Szocs, who handed Zeng Jian her first loss of the season. Szocs took the first two games with sharp counterplay before Zeng salvaged the third 11‑7. In mixed doubles, Mumbai struck back as Akash Pal and Szocs sprang from a 3‑6 deficit to seal games one and three, winning their rubber 2‑1. That win trimmed Goa's lead to a slender 5‑4 heading into the remaining matches. Vitor Ishiy almost sealed the tie for Goa, racing through the first two games against Abhinandh PB with scores of 11-6 and 11-4. But the latter refused to let Mumbai's campaign end. Down 6-9 in the third, Abhinandh clawed back with four successive points to snatch the game 11-9, keeping his team in the hunt heading into the final match. Yashaswini grabbed the chance with both hands thereon, beating Krittwika Sinha Roy across three close games to propel Mumbai to their maiden UTT final. For her efforts, Yashaswini won both the Indian Player of the Tie and the Shot of the Tie awards, while Szocs claimed the Foreign Player of the Tie honour. U Mumba TT 8-7 Dempo Goa Challengers Lilian Bardet lost to Harmeet Desai 0-3 (8-11, 4-11, 10-11) Bernadette Szocs bt. Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-5, 11-9, 7-11) Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-8, 8-11, 11-9) Abhinandh PB lost to Vitor Ishiy 1-2 (6-11, 4-11, 11-9) Yashaswini Ghorpade bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-9, 11-9, 11-10) First Published: June 14, 2025, 23:40 IST
India Gazette
07-06-2025
- Sport
- India Gazette
UTT Season 6: Harmeet Desai-led Dempo Goa Challengers face Kolkata ThunderBlades
Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], June 7 (ANI): Reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers, led by Harmeet Desai, will be looking to go top of the table when they face Kolkata ThunderBlades in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday. Later, current table toppers Dabang Delhi TTC will take on PBG Pune Jaguars, aiming to prolong their unbeaten start to the season. Second-placed Dempo Goa Challengers will aim to reclaim the top spot when they take on a dangerous but inconsistent Kolkata ThunderBlades, a release said. The defending champions look well-oiled and confident with Harmeet Desai and Zeng Jian unbeaten in singles, and finally clicking as a doubles pair. Krittwika Sinha Roy, too, has been flawless in her two appearances. If Goa's core keeps firing, they'll be tough to stop. But Kolkata won't go down quietly. Ankur Bhattacharjee has carried over his form from his breakout season last year, winning all three of his singles rubbers. Veterans Aruna Quadri and Adriana Diaz have added two wins apiece, but the team will be looking for a breakthrough from their doubles and fourth-player slots to snap a two-tie losing streak. Later, league leaders at the time of writing, Dabang Delhi TTC, will look to extend their unbeaten run against third-placed PBG Pune Jaguars. Delhi's strength lies in their balance: Sathiyan and Maria Xiao are unbeaten as a duo, Diya Chitale has delivered under pressure, and rising star Izaac Quek has looked world-class, even in his narrow Golden Point loss to Ankur. Pune, though, have plenty of firepower. Anirban Ghosh and Reeth Rishya have been quietly brilliant, with Reeth winning seven of nine games so far. New addition Zion Lee-who has replaced the injured Dina Meshref-will hope for a stronger outing after her debut, while Alvaro Robles will be hungry to flip the script after a string of tight losses. (ANI)
United News of India
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- United News of India
UTT: Harmeet Desai downs Sathiyan G in epic battle
Ahmedabad, June 4 (UNI) Harmeet Desai downed Sathiyan Gnanasekaran in an epic battle between two of India's top men's paddlers, yet it wasn't enough for reigning champions Dempo Goa Challengers, who went down 6-9 against Dabang Delhi TTC in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6. Staged under the aegis of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, UTT continues to grow as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, over 16 action-packed days, will take place at Ahmedabad's EKA Arena. A rematch of last season's final, the tie opened with 19-year-old Izaac Quek putting Dabang Delhi on the front foot, blanking Tiago Apolonia 3-0 in a generational clash between the league's youngest and oldest foreign players. Diya Chitale, then, fought hard against Singapore's Zeng Jian but couldn't prevent a straight-games defeat, levelling the tie at 3-3. Delhi struck back through the experienced duo of Sathiyan and Maria Xiao, who held their nerve in the mixed doubles against Harmeet and Zeng to win 2-1 and regain the lead. However, in a much-anticipated men's singles match, Harmeet edged Sathiyan 2-1 in a thriller, sealing it 11-9 in the decider, after the two had traded close games. But it was Xiao who had the final say. The Spanish star dominated her singles rubber against young Sayali Wani, wrapping up a 3-0 win and clinching the tie for Dabang Delhi TTC, who remain unbeaten in Season 6. For his efforts, Harmeet claimed the Indian Player and the Shot of the Tie honours, while Xiao took home the Foreign Player of the Tie award. Earlier, at the Dream UTT Juniors—a joint initiative by UTT and Dream Sports Foundation—U Mumba TT cruised to a 7-2 win over Ahmedabad SG Pipers, with Prateek Tulsani and Ananya Muralidharan starring in both singles and doubles. In a tighter contest, Jaipur Patriots edged Stanley's Chennai Lions 5-4, thanks to a dominant opening by Trishal Surapureddy and a crucial doubles point alongside Shreya Dhar. With the season now underway, all ties will be broadcast on Star Sports Khel and Star Sports 2 Tamil, and streamed live on JioHotstar for fans across the country. Final Scores: Dabang Delhi TTC 9-6 Dempo Goa Challengers Izaac Quek bt. Tiago Apolonia 3-0 (11-8, 11-9, 11-9) Diya Chitale lost to Zeng Jian 0-3 (9-11, 5-11, 6-11) Sathiyan Gnanasekaran/Maria Xiao bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (8-11, 11-5, 11-8) Sathiyan Gnanasekaran lost to Harmeet Desai 1-2 (11-8, 9-11, 9-11) Maria Xiao bt. Sayali Wani 3-0 (11-3, 11-7, 11-6). UNI BM
