The Hindu : Sport / Table Tennis : Neha upstages Shamini for title

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Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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Sport - Table Tennis

Neha upstages Shamini for title

Special Correspondent

— Photo: S. Thanthoni

THE CHAMPION: Neha Agarwal raised her game when it mattered most.

CHENNAI: For K. Shamini of IOC, it was once again a case of being on the threshold of glory, but stumbling there.

This local talent had a similar experience last year and this time it was Neha Agarwal of BPCL, who edged her out in the women’s singles final of the PSPB inter-unit table tennis tournament here on Sunday.

A Commerce student at the M.O.P. Vaishnav College but representing IOC, which has been providing her financial relief, Shamini’s game alternated between steady and uncertainty and in the end she paid for it.

Not that Neha is a meek opponent.

The Delhi girl is nationally ranked No. 1 and her aggression was something to watch.

Flashy on the forehand and quite sound in her backhand jabs and pushes, Neha kept thriving on the mistakes of her opponent.

But Shamini at times outdid Neha in this.

Fluctuating fortunes

As it happened, fortunes kept going up and down for the two girls as they took turns to assert.

But when it came to the decisive seventh game, Neha changed pace and found the touch.

The way she clinched the final point with a fluent and unstoppable forehand smash brought instant clapping from the small gathering around.

In the mixed doubles final later, Vishaka Vijay and Subham Choudhary of ONGC took the title beating Nandita Saha and Subhajit Saha of OIL.

The results:

Women’s singles: Final: Neha Agarwal (BPCL) bt K. Shamini (IOCV) 11-9, 9-11, 12-10, 5-11, 11-7. 6-11, 11-2; Mixed doubles: Vishaka Vijay/ Subham Choudhary (ONGC) bt Nandita Saha/ Subhajit Saha (OIL) 10-12, 2-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-8.

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