Harmeet, Ayhika win as India complete golden sweep

Cuttack (PTI): Harmeet Desai and Ayhika Mukherjee won the men's and women's singles titles as hosts India completed a clean sweep, claiming all the seven gold medals on offer at the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships here on Monday.

Harmeet, 26, beat favourite G Sathiyan 4-3 (9-11 6-11 11-5 11-8 17-15 7-11 11-9 in a hard-fought final to claim the men's singles title. After being down 0-2 initially, Harmeet made a valiant comeback to outwit Sathiyan in a marathon seven game contest.

Earlier in the day, Anthony Amalraj and Manav Thakkar claimed the men's doubles gold by stunning top seeds Sathiyan and Sharath Kamal 3-1 (8-11 11-6 13-11 12-10). In women singles, Ayhika won her maiden gold in the championships, thrashing former national champion Madurika Patkar 4-0 (11-6 11-4 11-9 19-17).

Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krittwika Sinha Roy defeated compatriots Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul 3-1 (11-9 11-8 9-11 12-10) to claim the women's doubles crown. Interestingly, no paddler could replicate their gold-winning performance in other events. The domination of home paddlers could be gauged from the fact that all finals Monday featured only the Indians.

Indian paddlers topped the medals tally with seven gold, five silver and three bronze. England (2 silver, 3 bronze) were second ahead of Singapore (6 bronze), Malaysia and Nigeria (1 bronze each).

Results:

Men Singles: Final: Harmeet Desai beat G Sathiyan 9-11 6-11 11-5 11-8 17-15 7-11 11-9. Semifinals: G Sathiyan beat Thomas Jarvis (ENG) 16-14 11-6 11-7 11-9; Harmeet Desai beat Pang Yu En Koen (SGP) 10-12 11-3 11-6 11-6 11-2.

Women Singles: Final: Ayhika Mukherjee beat Madhurika Patkar 11-6 11-4 11-9 19-17. Semifinals: Ayhika Mukherjee beat Ho Tin-Tin (ENG) 11-6 11-6 7-11. 11-4 11-4; Madhurika Patkar beat Sreeja Akula 11-8 11-9 9-11 11-8 14-12.

Men Doubles: Final: A Amalraj and Manav Thakkar beat A Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan 8-11 11-6 13-11 12-10. Semifinals: A. Sharath Kamal and G Sathiyan beat Pang Yu En Koen and Chua Shao Han Josh (SGP) 12-10 11-4 14-12; A Amalraj and Manav Thakkar beat Samuel Walker and Thomas Jarvis (ENG) 11-9 8-11 11-6 11-5.

Women Doubles: Final: Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krtittwika Sinha Roy beat Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul 11-9 11-8 9-11 12-10. Semifinals: Pooja Sahasrabudhe and Krtittwika Sinha Roy beat Goi Rui Xuan and Wong Xin Ru (SGP) 11-7 12-10 11-9; Sreeja Akula and Mousumi Paul beat Sutirtha Mukherjee and Ayhika Mukherjee 11-8 11-8 11-6.