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India Gazette
20 hours ago
- 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
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)
