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U Mumba TT defends Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 title, defeating Dempo Goa Challengers 8-5 in a thrilling finale.
U Mumba TT (Picture credit: Butterfly UTT)
U Mumba TT staged a brilliant comeback to end Dempo Goa Challengers’ unbeaten run and defended their Ultimate Table Tennis Season 7 title with an 8-5 win in a thrilling Grand Finale on Sunday, July 26, at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.
Trailing 4-2 after the opening two matches, the defending champions launched a brilliant comeback. Skipper Manush Shah and Anna Hursey sparked the revival with a dominant mixed doubles victory, before Manush delivered a skipper’s performance to beat Alvaro Robles.
Anusha Kutumbale then held her nerve in a dramatic decider against Syndrela Das to seal the title, handing Goa their first and only loss of the season. The win saw U Mumba draw level with Goa as the competition’s most successful team, with two titles each.
Speaking on the league’s impact, Mrs Dani said, “For me, the most important objective is to promote the sport and ensure that Indian players benefit the most from initiatives like these.”
U Mumba completed a historic double after winning the Dream UTT Juniors title earlier this month as well, becoming the first team to achieve the feat and capping a memorable campaign.
Commenting on the success of the league, Mr Bajaj said, “As we conclude the seventh season of UTT, it’s gratifying to see how the league continues to grow stronger with each passing year.”
The title showdown started with a marquee clash as Indian breakout star Abhinandh PB beat Lilian Bardet 2-1 after claiming the opening two games. Bernadette Szocs then fought back from a game down against Anna Hursey to extend Goa’s lead to 4-2.
U Mumba found their turning point in the mixed doubles, as Manush Shah and Anna Hursey extended their unbeaten run as a pair to six matches with a straight-game victory over Alvaro Robles and Syndrela, shifting the momentum in their favour.
The defending champions carried the momentum into the men’s singles, where Manush Shah fought back after losing the opening game to Robles. He edged a closely contested second game 11-10 before sealing the decider 11-5 to give U Mumba a crucial 7-5 lead.
The title was decided in the final match, where Anusha held her composure against Syndrela under immense pressure. After surrendering a 9-5 lead as Syndrela fought back to level at 10-all, Anusha kept her nerve to win the deciding point 11-10 and spark celebrations for U Mumba.
The title marked a successful return for coaches John Murphy and Jay Modak as well, who were brought back by the team and guided U Mumba to their second successive UTT crown.
The season’s top individual performers were honoured at the conclusion of the campaign, with U Mumba TT skipper Manush Shah and teammate Anna Hursey winning the Men’s and Women’s Most Valuable Player awards.
PBG Pune Jaguars’ Omar Assar was also recognised with the Shot of the League honour.
Final Score
U Mumba TT 8-5 Dempo Goa Challengers
Lilian Bardet lost to Abhinandh PB 1-2 (7-11, 9-11, 11-6)
Anna Hursey lost to Bernadette Szocs 1-2 (11-5, 7-11, 7-11)
Manush Shah/Anna Hursey bt. Alvaro Robles/Syndrela Das 3-0 (11-8, 11-7, 11-9)
Manush Shah bt Alvaro Robles 2-1 (6-11, 11-10, 11-5)
Anusha Kutumbale bt. Syndrela Das 1-0 (11-10)
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