Defending champions Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) have fielded their best teams to continue their dominance in the 76th Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships beginning here Tuesday.
PSPB's monopoly will be challenged by 30 states. Teams like Delhi, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Telangana have players of calibre to give some headache to PSPB.
Yet the latter's talented arsenal, with the likes of juniors in Manav Thakkar, Lalrin Puia, Lalhunhlua and Anukram Jain, will surely prevail over. Its youth boys doubles pair of Abhishek Yadav and Sudhanshu is also a formidable one.
In fact, PSPB are such a strong outfit that can not only surmount any situation but also tackle defensive as well as offensive play. In other words, they leave very little room for others to raise their heads.
This year, PSPB could add the third silverware to their overflowing cupboard with a fresh threat coming from their youth girls team. Until last year, it was West Bengal or squads like North Bengal and Tamil Nadu which were dominating the scene. But with the experienced Manika Batra and Reeth Rishya joining the enthusiastic Senhora D'Souza and Archana Kamath, the ordeal for others is complete.
If there is any scope and hope for the rest of the teams, it is only in junior girls championship as PSPB are not competing in the category. So the battle for this title will be among West Bengal, North Bengal, Telengana and Tamil Nadu besides hosts Kerala.
In this battle royal, both West Bengal and North Bengal may suffer due to some last-minute withdrawals by their state associations.
North Bengal will be sending only two players while West Bengal just three. West Bengal, incidentally, are the holders of junior girls crown and North Bengal finished runners-up at the Guwahati nationals last year.
Sending a depleted team by these states has raised the stakes for both Tamil Nadu and Telengana but Maharashtra's A team, comprising Shruti Amrute, Payal Bohra, Ashlesha Trehan and Rutuja Khopkar, looks to be the most favourite.
All but junior girls singles qualification matches will start Tuesday evening.
