Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) retained both the men and women's team championships in the ongoing RSPB-hosted 45th All India International Table Tennis Championships at the Thyagraj Stadium here today.
But, it was the women from Reserve Bank of India who won several hearts, including that of the eventual winners.
With today's triumphs, the PSPB men have claimed the championships for the 14th occasion while their women have completed a dozen titles.
The PSPB's men, comprising national champion Soumyajit Ghosh, runner-up G. Sathiyan and an equally graceful Harmeet Desai, made it a no-match against hosts Railways as even the most experienced Anirban Nandi was unable to win a game.
But it must be said to the credit of two Railways youngsters-Ravindra Kotiyan and Noel Pinto-who managed to extend the likes of both Ghosh and Sathiyan in their singles.
In the third game, however, Nandi saved three championship points before Desai shutting him out at 12-10.
PSPB men yet again proved they are a few notches ahead of their rivals in institutional events and all other teams need to travel a long way before they can even think of giving them a scare, let alone winning the crown. The chasm, indeed, is too huge to cover.
However, the PSPB women's team is somewhat losing its domineering position since, for the first time, it relinquished the top-pedestal place at Chhattisgarh when Delhi women won their first senior national title. PSPB, afraid of trying out a new combination, has been heavily banking on the experienced lot.
But today the think-tank almost paid a heavy prize for their over confidence when RBI's women, appearing in their first final, gave a scare. Thanks to Ankita Das, who was patchy earlier, came good in the decider against a nervy Sweta Parte to help PSPB retain the crown.
