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)
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
Delhi's Roshanara Club to reopen clubhouse
The Roshanara Club in north Delhi is set to make its return as a social hub, with the Delhi Development Authority (DDA)—in a first, since its takeover of the club in 2023—planning to reopen the clubhouse and resume food and beverage (F&B) service after months of restricted activity. The 103-year-old club, which was established during the British era, remained partially functional since its takeover from private management, offering sports facilities—cricket, tennis and swimming—on a pay-to-play model. (HT Archive) The 103-year-old club, which was established during the British era, remained partially functional since its takeover from private management, offering sports facilities—cricket, tennis and swimming—on a pay-to-play model. While the club remained exclusive to its members since the British era, the DDA opened it to the public after its takeover. 'We gradually made repairs and started most of the sports facilities in phases, starting with indoor sports. It is now open for cricket and several other court games too. The restaurant and club area will also be refurbished and opened to the public soon. As of now, there are no memberships and everything is available on a pay-and-play basis,' a senior DDA official said. Earlier in the week, the DDA also floated a tender inviting licensed F&B operators to run the cafeteria and restaurant services in the main club building. According to the document, the scope of services includes providing catering across multiple areas—indoor restaurant, outdoor seating, and event-based buffet services—while maintaining the heritage ambience of the site. 'We are focusing on a careful revival of the Roshanara Club that balances modern expectations with its historic character. People can expect a high-quality dining experience within the preserved colonial-era architecture,' the official said. The tender document specifies that the food operator will be given a two-year licence, extendable based on performance, and will have to comply with detailed hygiene, staffing, and decor requirements in line with heritage norms. No structural changes will be allowed, and branding will be strictly regulated to ensure the old-world charm of the premises is not lost, according to the document. DDA officials said the decision to initiate F&B services was taken following multiple requests from former club members and those who used the sports facilities. The club's takeover in 2023 sparked controversy and legal back-and-forth between DDA and the former private management. Since then, the authority has stated that it intends to operate the club as a public facility with an affordable and inclusive model. Membership norms are being reworked, officials said. In 1922, Civil Lines was populated by then-British bureaucrats and the emerging Indian elite, who joined hands to set up the club on 22 acres on the western side of Roshanara Bagh. The club is renowned for hosting a meeting that led to the ideation and creation of the Board of Cricket Control Of India (BCCI). It also hosted the first test match of the country—India vs England—in 1931. According to the club website, its pre-independence members included viceroys and governor-generals. Among regular visitors were Jawaharlal Nehru, Zakir Hussain, V.V. Giri, and Dr Rajendra Prasad. Several Indian cricketers, including Kapil Dev and Virat Kohli, have played here and iconic films, such as 'Gandhi', have been shot on the premises.
Mint
2 hours ago
- Mint
Root overtakes Jayasuriya to become 9th highest international cricket run-getter
Leeds [UK], June 22 (ANI): England batter Joe Root overtook Sri Lankan legend Sanath Jayasuriya to become the ninth-highest run-getter in international cricket on Saturday. Root achieved this upward movement in the charts during his side's first Test match against India at Leeds. During his innings, he scored 28 in 58 balls, with two fours. He ultimately fell to Jasprit Bumrah for the 10th time in 25 innings, averaging 29 against him. In 366 international matches, Root has scored 21,053 runs in 479 innings at an average of 49.30, with 54 centuries and 112 fifties; his best score is 262. He is England's top run-getter of all time across all formats, including Tests and ODIs. On the other hand, Jayasuriya, the SL legend, scored 21,032 runs in 651 innings at an average of 34.14, with 42 centuries and 103 fifties. His best score is 340. The top run-getter in international cricket is Sachin Tendulkar, the Indian icon. He has scored 34,357 runs in 664 matches in 782 innings at an average of 48.52, with 100 centuries and 164 fifties. His best score is 248*. In Test cricket, Root has scored 13,034 runs in 154 matches and 280 innings at an average of 50.71, with 36 centuries and 65 fifties. His best score is 262. In ODIs, he has made 7,126 runs at an average of 49.14 in 180 matches and 169 innings, with 18 centuries and 42 fifties. In 32 T20Is and 30 innings, he has scored 893 runs at an average of 35.72, with a strike rate of 126.30 and five half-centuries. His best score is 90*. Coming to the match, England ended day two on 209/3, with Ollie Pope (100*) and Harry Brook (0*) unbeaten. A half-century from Ben Duckett (62 in 94 balls, with nine fours) and his century partnership with Pope gave England a boost after the early dismissal of Zak Crawley. Jasprit Bumrah (three wickets) made problems for England with timely strikes but barely found support from other bowlers. England trails by 262 runs. England, on day one, won the toss and opted to bowl first. Centuries from Yashasvi Jaiswal (101 in 159 balls, with 16 fours), skipper Shubman Gill (147 in 227 balls, with 19 fours and a six) and Rishabh Pant (134 in 178 balls, with 12 fours and six sixes) took India to 471. 430/4 at one point, skipper Ben Stokes (4/66) and Josh Tongue (4/86) caused a collapse. (ANI)
India Gazette
3 hours ago
- India Gazette
Sachin Tendulkar points out Pant's
Leeds [UK], June 21 (ANI): India's legendary batter Sachin Tendulkar believes vice-captain Rishabh Pant's falling paddle sweep is not 'accidental' but 'intentional,' which makes it 'extremely clever.' He also decoded the tactical ploy that was in play during captain Shubman Gill's partnership with his deputy. During Pant's 134(178) blitzkrieg, one shot from his loaded arsenal stood out, the paddle-pulled down shot he executed on several occasions. He used to target the fine leg area with control and pick up runs to keep the scoreboard ticking, especially off Shoaib Bashir. 'Rishabh's falling paddle sweep is not accidental. It is intentional and extremely clever. Going down with the shot allows him to get under the ball and scoop it over leg slip with control,' Sachin wrote on X. Another aspect that caught Sachin's eye was Gill and Pant's conversation in Hindi during Bashir's over. For the 'Master Blaster', the conversation was a tactical ploy to disrupt Bashir's rhythm, who could extract turn from the dry surface. 'Also noticed something interesting during Bashir's spell. Shubman and Rishabh were speaking loudly in Hindi between deliveries. It wasn't just casual talk. They were playing mind games with the bowler, trying to disrupt his rhythm. These minor details may not appear on the scoreboard, but they can have a significant impact on the game,' he added. After Yashasvi Jaiswal's explosive 101(159), the captain and vice-captain's act propelled India into a position of control. Gill and Pant forged a 209-run partnership and exposed England's pace bowling attack, bereft of experience. While Pant switched through gears, Gill maintained one tempo and tried to dictate the game's flow with it. Gill's exploits at the crease concluded after he dragged the ball towards the deep square into the hands of Josh Tongue. He wanted to bring up his 150 in style but was forced to return on 147(227). Pant, who brought up his century by heaving the ball past the boundary rope with a one-handed maximum, got pinned in front of the stumps by Tongue. He offered no shot, and the ball nipped in to trap Pant in front of the stumps, which pulled the curtains down on his 134(178). India's lower end collapsed after Gill and Pant's return to the dugout and forced the tourists to pack on 471. (ANI)
