U Mumba TT etched their name into the history books, clinching their maiden IndianOil Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) title with a dominant 8-4 win over Jaipur Patriots in the season 6 grand finale on Sunday.
Wins for Lilian Bardet and Bernadette Szocs gave U Mumba an early lead, before Szocs and Akash Pal swept the mixed doubles 3-0 to take them to the brink. Teenager Abhinandh PB sealed the title with a clutch game win in the fourth match. Although Yashaswini Ghorpade didn’t feature in the final, her standout semi-final display epitomised U Mumba’s collective strength this season.
For their performances in the final, Akash and Szocs were named the Indian and foreign player of the final, respectively, while Jeet Chandra claimed the “shot of the final”.
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 days, took place at Ahmedabad’s EKA Arena.
The final was graced by several dignitaries and guests, including IndianOil UTT co-promoters Vita Dani and Niraj Bajaj. Also in attendance were TTFI secretary general Kamlesh Mehta and Arjuna awardee Monalisa Mehta, along with ITTF Group CEO Steve Dainton and ITTF Foundation director Leandro Olvech.
Final scores
U Mumba TT 8-4 Jaipur Patriots
Lilian Bardet bt. Kanak Jha 2-1 (4-11, 11-5, 11-7)
Bernadette Szocs bt. Sreeja Akula 2-1 (11-9, 10-11, 11-5)
Akash Pal/Bernadette Szocs bt. Jeet Chandra/Britt Eerland 3-0 (11-6, 11-5, 11-5)
Abhinandh PB lost to Jeet Chandra 1-2 (5-11, 8-11, 11-8)
