The Hindu : Sport / Table Tennis : North Bengal enters final

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 30, 2005

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Sport - Table Tennis

North Bengal enters final

Sports Reporter

PONDICHERRY: North Bengal put paid to Tamil Nadu's hopes, beating the latter 3-2 in an engrossing and pulsating sub-junior boys' semifinals in the Suzlon National sub-junior and inter-State table tennis championship, hosted by Pondicherry State TTA, at the Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium, here on Thursday.

With the scores tied at two match-all, Raj Mondal beat a fighting R. Venkatramanan 12-14, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5 in a seesaw fifth rubber to put North Bengal in the summit clash, where it will take on Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (Ajmer).

After G. Sathiyan lost to Mondal, Tamil Nadu came roaring back with Venkatramanan and Prasanna registering victories. Leading 2-1, Ghosh equalised by turning the tables on Sathiyan with an inspired performance.

Against a stronger and taller Mondal, Venkatramanan, showed exceptional control and variations, especially on his backhand, to make a match out of it. Venkatramanan raced to a two-game lead and was up 5-2 in the third but Mondal regrouped wonderfully well.

There was some cheer for Tamil Nadu when the sub-junior and cadet girls' reached the finals.

The results: Sub-junior boys: Semifinals: North Bengal bt TN 3-2 (Raj Mondal bt G. Sathiyan 13-11, 11-9, 7-11, 11-6; Soumyajit Ghosh lost to R. Venkataramanan 8-11, 11-8, 8-11, 16-14, 9-11; Nandanik S lost to S. Prasanna 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-8, 6-11; Soumyajit Ghosh bt G. Sathiyan 12-10, 11-7, 6-11, 11-7; Raj Mondal bt Venkatramanan 12-14, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6, 11-5); PSPBA bt Ben 3-1 (Mohit Verma lost to Priya Bratadas 14-12, 6-11, 11-7, 13-11, 9-11; T. Nitin bt Rohit Chakraborthy 11-7, 14-12, 12-14, 13-11; Sourav Saha bt Anirban Sinha Roy 11-4, 11-2, 11-6; Mohit Verma bt Rohit Chakraborthy 11-4, 11-3, 11-8. Quarterfinals: TN bt Kar 3-0; Ben bt AP 3-1; PSPB (Ajmer) bt Del 3-1; North Bengal bt West Bengal 3-1.

Sub-junior girls: Semifinals: TN bt North Ben 3-1 (K.K. Narmadha lost to Ankita Das 9-11, 8-11, 5-11; Sumana R Krishnan bt Medha Moitra 11-6, 9-11, 6-11, 11-9, 11-6; V. Sneha bt Takeme Sarkar 11-6, 12-10, 6-11, 11-7; K.K. Narmadha bt Medha Moitra 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-5, 11-8); Mah `A' bt WB 3-0 (Shruti Talenkar bt Madhurma Das 12-10, 11-9, 7-11, 12-10; Mallika Bhandarkar bt Sharmana Dutta 11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7; Rama Dutia bt Amarapali Kundu 11-4, 11-6, 12-10). Quarterfinals: West Bengal bt AP 3-0; Mah `A' bt Kar 3-2; TN bt Bengal 3-1; North Bengal bt Del 3-0.

Cadet boys: Semifinals: North Bengal bt PSPBA 3-0; Bengal bt West Bengal 3-2. Quarterfinals: Ben bt TN 3-0; PSPB (Ajmer) bt Kar 3-0; West Bengal bt Mah `A' 3-1; North Ben bt Assam 3-0.

Cadet girls: Semifinals: TN bt Ben 3-0; Mah `A' bt West Bengal 3-1. Quarterfinals: West Bengal bt Mah `B' 3-1; Mah `A' bt AP 3-1; Ben bt Kar 3-2; TN bt Del 3-0.

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