Did Kolkata ThunderBlades Secure Their Spot in the UTT Playoffs with a 9-6 Win Against Dempo Goa Challengers?

Ahmedabad, June 8 (NationPress) In a thrilling showdown, the Kolkata ThunderBlades clinched a 9-6 victory over the defending champions, Dempo Goa Challengers, in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 6 on Sunday. Key victories from Ankur Bhattacharjee, Quadri Aruna, and Adriana Diaz spearheaded Kolkata's triumph, propelling them into the playoff zone with 29 points, placing them fourth. Meanwhile, Goa's six additional game wins pushed them level on points with the leaders, Jaipur Patriots and U Mumba TT.

The match commenced with an electrifying battle between two of the league's finest. Goa's captain, Harmeet Desai, took the first game 11-10 after a spectacular comeback from a 4-9 deficit, but Aruna retaliated fiercely, winning the next two games and handing Harmeet his first singles defeat of the season. Following this, Adriana Diaz showcased her skills with a commanding 3-0 win over Krittwika Sinha Roy, featuring a breathtaking defensive rally that earned her the Shoots of the Tie award.

Continuing their momentum, Ankur and Diaz triumphed in the doubles, narrowly defeating Harmeet and Zeng Jian 2-1, marking their first win as a pair this season. Ankur returned to dominate, recovering from a game down to defeat Ronit Bhanja 11-1 in the final game, maintaining his unbeaten record. Although Zeng concluded the tie strongly with a 3-0 victory over Selena Selvakumar, it was insufficient to avert a second loss for Goa.

For their outstanding performances, Ankur and Diaz were honored as the Indian and Foreign Players of the Tie, respectively.

In a delightful day for the Kolkata ThunderBlades, they also captured the inaugural title at the Dream UTT Juniors—a collaborative venture of IndianOil UTT and the Dream Sports Foundation—earlier, defeating U Mumba TT 5-2. Ritvik Gupta initiated the final with a singles victory, before partnering with Swara Karmakar to build a 4-2 lead. Swara clinched the final point to secure the championship. Kolkata received INR 2 lakh for their first-place finish, while U Mumba took home INR 1 lakh as runners-up.

Organized under the auspices of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and promoted by Niraj Bajaj and Vita Dani, the IndianOil UTT continues to establish itself as a premier professional league. All 23 ties, spanning 16 exhilarating days, are being held at Ahmedabad’s EKA Arena.

Final Scores

Kolkata ThunderBlades 9-6 Dempo Goa Challengers

Quadri Aruna bt. Harmeet Desai 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-6)

Adriana Diaz bt. Krittwika Sinha Roy 3-0 (11-1, 11-4, 11-6)

Ankur Bhattacharjee/Adriana Diaz bt. Harmeet Desai/Zeng Jian 2-1 (11-10, 9-11, 11-7)

Ankur Bhattacharjee bt. Ronit Bhanja 2-1 (10-11, 11-10, 11-1)

Selena Selvakumar lost to Zeng Jian 0-3 (4-11, 6-11, 4-11)