Ajmer, November 25: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) and Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) will clash in the men and women team finals of the 49th Inter-Institutional Table Tennis Championships as they sent their rivals packing at the MCC Indoor Stadium here today.

In men’s team semifinals, PSPB defeated RBI 3-0 while RSPB ousted AAI 3-1 to set up the title clash. As for the women’s semifinals, PSPB accounted for RBI 3-0 and RSPB blanked out Bank of Baroda Sports Control Board, also by the same margin.

Meanwhile, PSPB team retained the Youth Girls crown after beating Railways Sports Promotion Board (RSPB) in the single group league earlier in the evening.

With just four teams competing in the section, PSPB didn’t have any problem finishing atop and grabbing their spot in the Junior Youth Nationals to be held at Jammu from December 2. Having registered two successive 3-0 wins against Air India and Railways, they have ensured the gold medal for themselves. Despite all teams having a match in hand to complete the league formality, nothing can alter the PSPB girls’ march.

As for their boys, they were very much in line to book their Jammu Nationals berth after winning two matches in the single group league. However, they will have to wait until the five-team league formalities are completed tomorrow.

The Petroleum women secured defeated Reserve Bank of India 3-0 in the first semifinal of the team event. They will take on RSPB women, who struggled past a determined Bank of Baroda Sports Control Board 3-0, in the final tomorrow.

Manika Batra opened against RBI’s top player, Ayhika Mukherjee and soon decimated her 11-8, 9-11, 11-7, 11-1 to put PSPB on the path to final. Archana Kamath consolidated their position, despite a good resistance from Sreeja Akula, winning the second rubber 8-11, 11-1, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9. Sutirtha Mukherjee, their third player in today’s combination, accounted for Amrutha Pushpak in straight games to storm into the final.

The AAI women gave a good fight through out and stretching their Railways opponents full in the first two rubbers before Takeme Sarkar stopped any further agony with a 3-1 win in the third singles.

In the first, Sagarika was 0-2 down against Selena but the former steadied well to take the last three games for 1-0 lead. Though Moumita began well, Mallika Bhandarkar went 2-1 up to give a glimmer of hope. But then the Railways paddler kept herself in the match to level and then went for the final assault. Takeme, on the other hand, started with the first game loss and soon established the lead to finish off in style.

The men’s team semifinals are slated for this evening and they will play the final tomorrow when the day’s proceedings begin with men and women singles qualification rounds.

Results (TEAM):

Women: Semi-finals: PSPB bt RBI 3-0 (Manika Batra bt Ayhika Mukherjee 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 11-1, Archana Kamath bt Sreeja Akula 8-11, 11-1, 11-7, 5-11, 11-9, Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Amrutha P Shekhar 11-8, 11-8, 11-3); RSPB bt AAI 3-0 (Sagarika Mukherjee bt Selenadeepthi Selvakumar 8-11, 9-11, 11-6, 13-11, 11-1, Moumita Dutta bt Mallika Bhandarkar 11-4, 6-11, 6-11, 11-8, 11-6, Takeme Sarkar bt Yashaswini Ghorpade 9-11, 11-8, 11-4, 11-7).

Quarterfinals: PSPB bt Central Revenue 3-1; RBI bt CI 3-1; RSPB bt BoBSCB 3-2; AAI bt Ministry of Communication & IT 3-0.

Men: Semifinals: PSPB bt LIC 3-0 (A Sharath Kamal bt Sougata Sarkar 13-15, 11-9, 12-10, 12-14, 11-7, Harmeet Desai bt R Rajesh 11-9, 4-11, 11-7, 12-10, Manav Thakkar bt Rohit Chakraborty 9-11, 11-5, 11-5, 11-0); RSPB bt AAI 3-1 (Anirban Nandi lost to Arjun Ghosh 7-11, 9-11, 8-11, Anirban Ghosh bt Sushmit Sriram 11-7, 11-9, 11-4, Omkar Torgalkar bt Ronit Bhanja 9-11,12-10, 11-8, 10-12, 11-3, Anirban Ghosh bt Arjun Ghosh 9-11, 11-9, 11-3, 11-8).

Quarterfinals: PSPB bt FCI 3-0; LIC bt Indian Audit 3-1; AAI bt BobSCB 3-0; RSPB bt Air India 3-0.

Pre-quarterfinals: FCI bt CRSB 3-0; Indian Audit bt ESIC 3-0; BoBSCB bt RBI 3-0; Air India bt Canara Bank 3-0.

Youth Boys: Round 1: PSPB bt Air India 3-1; Canara Bank bt FCI 3-2; Round 2: PSPB bt FCI 3-0; AAI bt Air India 3-0

Youth Girls: Round 1: PSPB bt Air India 3-0; RSPB bt AAI 3-1. Round 2: PSPB bt RSCB 3-0; Air India bt AAI 3-2.