Kolkata Thunder Blades beat U Mumba TT in season 1 of Dream UTT Juniors
They beat U Mumba TT's Prateek Tulsani and Ananya Muralidharan at the EKA Arena in Ahmedabad on Sunday, as per a press release from UTT and Dream Sports Foundation.
The tournament provided a unique platform for junior players to experience professional-level competition and learn alongside seasoned athletes, marking a significant milestone in Indian table tennis development.
The awards were presented by Vita Dani, Co-promoter, Ultimate Table Tennis, Neel Shah, CEO of Dream Sports Foundation, and Sumit Pandey, COO of the Dream Sports Foundation.
Speaking about the tournament, Neel Shah, CEO, Dream Sports Foundation said, 'The inaugural Dream UTT Juniors has been a remarkable success, providing our talented U-15 players with an invaluable opportunity to compete in a professional league format and learn from senior athletes. This tournament represents more than just competition - it is a crucial stepping stone that will help these young champions develop the skills needed to represent India on the global stage. We are proud to partner with Ultimate Table Tennis for this tournament -- strengthening our shared commitment to nurturing grassroots talent and shaping a stronger future for Indian table tennis.'
The duo representing the Kolkata Thunder Blades were elated following their victory. 'The experience was incredible. I had so many opportunities to play alongside top players. I really enjoyed spending time with senior players Adriana Diaz and Quadri Aruna - they were very friendly and welcoming,' said Swara Karmakar.
Her teammate Ritvik Gupta echoed the sentiment, adding, 'I never imagined I would get the chance to play in Dream UTT Juniors. It was always my dream to be part of UTT. This was my first time here, and coming as a player rather than just a spectator makes me incredibly happy.'
A blistering start from Prateek saw him come back well against Ritvik to win the first set 11-10 in their boys' singles tie. The two youngsters fought tooth and nail, with Ritvik winning the second set 11-10. In the end, Ritvik gave the Kolkata Thunder Blades the early lead in the final with an 11-8 win in the third set.
Ritvik and Swara of the Kolkata Thunder Blades made a strong start to their mixed doubles tie with an 11-4 win over U Mumba's Prateek and Ananya. Despite an impressive comeback from U Mumba in the second set, it was the Thunder Blades who won with an 11-9 score. In the final set of the mixed doubles, U Mumba secured the set with an 11-9 score to ensure the tie read 4-2 entering the girls' doubles.
In the end, Swara sealed the trophy for her team with a 11-4 victory in the first set of the girls' doubles to confirm the trophy for the Kolkata Thunder Blades.
Dream UTT Juniors Final: U Mumba TT vs Kolkata Thunder Blades
-Prateek Tulsani vs Ritvik Gupta: 11-10, 10-11, -Prateek/Ananya vs Ritvik/Swara: 4-11, 9-11, 11-9-Ananya Muralidharan vs Swara Karmakar: 4-11. (ANI)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
39 minutes ago
- Time of India
Diamond Harbour FC stun Jamshedpur FC to make Durand Cup semis
Jamshedpur FC 's first match since their head coach Khalid Jamil left the club to take charge of the Indian national team ended in a shock as Durand Cup debutants Diamond Harbour FC knocked them out in the quarterfinals in Jamshedpur on Sunday. Playing at the JRD Tata Complex, the team from West Bengal rode the brace of unlikely hero Sairuat Kima, who hails from Mizoram, to register the biggest shock of the tournament and stun the hosts 2-0 in front of a raucous crowd and make it to the semifinals. It was in the third minute itself that the visitors silenced the home fans as the defender from the northeast state netted from close quarters following a long throw that unsettled the home side. Kima was unmarked, and he made sure to put it past JFC goalkeeper Amrit Gope. As the hosts tried to get back into the game and solidified their midfield, Diamond Harbour scored their second of the match in the 41st minute. This time it was on the counter. After Samuel Lalmuanpuia lofted a cross from the right flank, it deflected into Kima's path, and he volleyed it clinically into the net doubling the visitors' advantage. Steven Dias, who took over the Indian Super League side on an interim basis, did his best to motivate his players in the second half and they did show a lot of fight. But they just couldn't find the target. The clearest opening came when Mohammed Sanan cut inside and played a low shot. However, Diamond Harbour goalkeeper Mirshad Michu got down sharply to keep it away and then sprang up to palm away VP Suhair's volleyed follow-up in a superb double save that preserved the two-goal cushion. In the end, the Kibu Vicuna-coached side held on for one of their greatest wins as not only Kima's brace but also their defensive effort played a huge role in beating JFC at the Furnace. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area.
New Indian Express
3 hours ago
- New Indian Express
World C'ships an opportunity for Lakshya to turn things around: Coach Vimal
CHENNAI: The season so far has been an immense slog for badminton ace Lakshya Sen. Victories have been at a premium and the shuttler, despite his unarguable talent, has largely been at sea while trying to navigate high-intensity matches inside the court. But that narrative can change in no time. With the all-important World Championships in Paris around the corner, Lakshya will be hoping to buck the trend. With the gold-standard event in mind, the shuttler from Almora is currently training in Paris alongside some of the elite French players. The Indian, who celebrated his 24th birthday on August 16, will be returning to a venue — Porte de La Chapelle Arena — where he had narrowly missed out on an Olympic medal last year. Having said that, he has also tasted success there, having reached the semifinals of the French Open in summer last year. And the Indian had shown some form during his last outing — Macau Open, gaining crucial match-practice in the process. However, he has to be near-flawless from the onset during the BWF Grade 1 event — scheduled to be held from August 25 to 31 — as he will be facing China's Shi Yu Qi, who has been one of the standouts of the season so far with four titles to his name. The odds are clearly stacked against Lakshya but a victory against the World No 1 shuttler could just be the kick he needs. U Vimal Kumar, Lakshya's coach at the Prakash Padukone Badminton Academy (PPBA), concurred. "It's an opportunity (for Lakshya). That's what I told him the moment I saw the draw. He said everything is going well. Shi Yu Qi is someone whom he has beaten before. The top-30 players who'll be playing in the event, Lakshya has beaten all of them. He can beat any of them but he has to convert his chances. The top guys are also vulnerable and they'll be under pressure. Shi can also be under pressure. He knows Lakshya's strengths and it's going to be a tough match. If Lakshya can play fearlessly and pull off a win, it will be a good breakthrough," Vimal told this daily. Lakshya this season has either struggled to get his engine burning, going by his early exits or he has seemed to be lacking ideas during the business end of sweat-dripping matches. Vimal, who has been regularly looking to motivate his ward, said that is the issue that he's trying to address at the moment. "He needs match-practice. Training is not new, he has been doing that for long. He has been looking to work on dealing with different situations, how you employ yourself and pull off wins. He has been faltering in those closing stages. That is an area that they're trying to get better at, to understand when to push the pace, when to keep the shuttle in play without making mistakes when under pressure. That he can only gain in the practice that he's getting over there as there are quite a lot of other elite players who're also practising there. He has to figure things out, everything can't be coached."
The Hindu
3 hours ago
- The Hindu
Chhetri is not there as team playing a preparatory tournament, doors are open for him: Jamil
Newly-appointed India head coach Khalid Jamil on Sunday (August 17, 2025) cleared the air about the leaving out of talismanic striker Sunil Chhetri from the CAFA Nations Cup national camp, saying it was just a preparatory tournament for the crucial Asian Cup qualifying round matches in October. Jamil, who succeeded Manolo Marquez as India head coach earlier this month, on Friday named 35 probables for the upcoming CAFA Nations Cup in Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, with Chhetri missing from the list. Jamil did not say in so many words but made it clear that Chhetri is expected to walk into the national team for the Asian Cup qualifying round matches against Singapore on October 9 (away) and October 14 (home). 'He [Chhetri] is not there in this camp because we are playing a tournament which will essentially serve as a preparation for our Asian Cup Qualifiers,' Jamil said on the second day of the national camp here. 'I also want to try out a few other players during this FIFA window. I had a talk with him about the same. It's always a pleasure to have a player like him in the team, and the door is always open for him. 'Sunil is a legend of Indian football. I have played against him, I've seen him play on numerous occasions, and he is one of my favourite players. He is a role model for Indian football," he said in a release from the All India Football Federation (AIFF). Placed in Group B of the CAFA Nations Cup, India face co-host Tajikistan on August 29, Iran on September 1 and Afghanistan on September 4. The third-place match and the final will be played on September 8 in Hisor and Tashkent (Uzbekistan), respectively. The national camp began on Saturday featuring 22 players while the remaining 13, who were doing club duties at the ongoing Durand Cup, are likely to join in a few days. The AIFF has urged all the clubs to release national team players for the tournament. The 41-year-old Chhetri took international retirement after playing against Kuwait in June last year but made a return for national duty in the match against Maldives in March this year following a request from Marquez to help the team in the Asian Cup qualifiers third round. Chhetri has played four matches since then and scored once -- in the 3-0 win over Maldives. India drew Bangladesh 0-0 and lost to Hong Kong 0-1 in the Asian Cup qualifiers, leaving the country in a difficult position to qualify for the continental showpiece in 2027. In between India lost 0-2 to Thailand in an international friendly. Marquez quit after the string of poor performance of the team. 'CAFA Nations Cup good opportunity to play against quality opponents' The CAFA Nations Cup will be 48-year-old Jamil's first international assignment, and Jamil said the central Asian tournament will be a good opportunity for his team to play against quality opponents. "This will be India's first-ever participation in the CAFA Nations Cup, and it will be a good opportunity for us to play against stronger and quality opponents like Tajikistan and Iran in CAFA Nations Cup. This will definitely be beneficial for us to prepare for AFC Asian Cup qualifiers. "There is absolutely no excuse for us, as we have enough time to prepare for it. We may be treating these as preparatory games, but this is serious business for us," he said. Tasked with turning the Blue Tigers' fortunes around, Jamil wants to take one step at a time. 'We must do the simple things first and go step by step. We are treating these matches as friendly games, but I want to take players who are fit. When I say fit, I mean, the players who will play must be 100% fit,' said Jamil. 'We started the camp with some players still not available, but we've got the players we need to begin our preparations. We had a good first training session yesterday [Saturday], but there's a lot to improve on. "The important thing is that we remain united as a team. For the national interest, we would like to request co-operation from clubs to release players on time, to ensure their adequate participation during the preparatory camp," he added. The former Jamshedpur FC and NorthEast United coach said he needs time to adjust to the team. "The players also need time to adjust to me. My doors are always open to everybody. Whoever is doing well will be selected.' On his appointment as India head coach, Jamil said, 'It is my pleasure to serve the country. It has always been my dream to do this, and it has now come true, so that feels very good. "There is a big task ahead of us, and we've got many areas that we need to work on. I am fully aware how big a responsibility it is for me, but I feel thankful that the Federation (AIFF) felt me worthy to be entrusted with it.'
