Surat, December 16: Call it luck or what you may, the Indian women could not have bargained for a better second-stage draw than what fell on their platter. It was a dream come true open draw as coaches from Cyprus and Wales chose India as their opponents in Group F, while Singapore will have England and Sri Lanka for company in Group E of 20th Avadh Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships.
At the end of the fist-stage league matches at the Pandit Dindayal Upadhyay Indoor Stadium, with team coaches in attendance, the open draw proceedings were conducted this evening.
In open draw, fortune matters a lot and India found the lady luck on their side. This meant that the Indian women are expected to top the group and avoid meeting England until the semifinals. The Indians also would have been encouraged by the fact that English women were struggling against Wales in group matches as they approach the semifinals.
In other words, India should meet Singapore in the final provided on the day after assuming England finish second behind Singapore in Group E and India beat England in the semis.
Singapore, who face England in the second stage apart from Sri Lanka, will not mind who their opponents would be as the team from South East Asia is expected to enter the final.
As for men’s draw, neither India nor Singapore will have much to worry as they are already taken the top positions in Group E and F and await their opponents.
South Africa, Trinidad and Tobago and Northern Ireland will play for positions 7-9.
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- Singapore, India enter second stage; joint debut success for Harmeet, Devesh
- Singapore teams get top billing, Indians seeded 2nd
- Indian women meet England, Singapore clash with Wales in semifinals
- Indian men strike gold, women silver
- Indians keep the faith, enter main draw
- Indians on course for a record medal hunt
- Sathiyan-Ankita pair hunts down, Ghosh-Mouma for gold
- Singapore claim both singles gold, India silver as hosts end with highest ever tally
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