Dempo Goa Challengers launched their Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 campaign with a dominant 10-5 victory over reigning champions U Mumba TT at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji on 9 July. Teenage prospect Abhinandh PB and three-time Olympian Bernadette Szocs — last year's Butterfly UTT MVP — swept their singles matches and combined in the mixed doubles to seal the tie with two matches to spare.

Abhinandh Sets the Tone

18-year-old Abhinandh PB, one of India's most promising young paddlers, opened proceedings with a commanding straight-games demolition of France's Lilian Bardet, winning 11-6, 11-2, 11-3. He won 21 of his 33 service points, deploying powerful forehand drives and a devastating serve to keep Bardet on the back foot throughout. Coaches Elena Timina and Parag Agrawal — the duo who guided Goa to the 2024 UTT title — were courtside as Abhinandh dictated every game.

Szocs Extends the Lead

Bernadette Szocs then reinforced Goa's advantage with another clinical straight-games win over Nithyashree Mani. Szocs took the opener 11-7, absorbed a spirited fightback in the second before edging it 11-9, and closed out the third 11-7. The Romanian then paired with Abhinandh in the mixed doubles, where the duo overcame U Mumba captain Manush Shah and league debutant Anna Hursey of Wales 2-1 (11-7, 7-11, 11-6), wrapping up the tie.

U Mumba's Late Fight

The reigning champions offered a late response through Manush Shah, who edged Spain's Álvaro Robles in the season's first Golden Point before closing out 2-1 in Men's Singles. The final rubber saw UTT debutants Syndrela Das — the reigning ITTF World No. 1 in U-19 girls' doubles alongside Divyanshi Bhowmick — and Anna Hursey trade games, with Hursey prevailing 2-1 (11-9 in Das's favour, then 11-9, 11-7 to Hursey), ensuring both teams shared honours in the closing contest.

Season Inauguration and Awards

Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant formally declared UTT Season 7 open in the presence of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) President Petra Sörling and UTT co-promoters Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj. Sawant noted that the league is being held in Goa for the first time and expressed hope that the event would strengthen the state's growing reputation as a sporting tourism destination. 'Goa has long been known for tourism, and today it is also emerging as a destination for sporting tourism,' he said.

Abhinandh swept the individual awards for the opening tie, claiming the ChatGPT Match IQ Player of the Tie, Indian Player of the Tie, and Bisleri Shot of the Tie honours. Szocs was named Foreign Player of the Tie.

UTT Juniors Results

The UTT Juniors grassroots competition running alongside Season 7 also continued in Goa on Thursday. HVR Kolkata ThunderBlades maintained their unbeaten run with a 5-4 win over Dabang Delhi TTC, driven by Vatsal Duklan and Titash Chatterjee. UP Prometheans defeated Ahmedabad APL Pipers 6-3, having already opened their campaign with a win over PBG Pune Jaguars.

With Goa's two-time championship pedigree and a full-strength squad firing from the first night, the Challengers will be among the favourites as UTT Season 7 builds toward its final.