Maharashtra team sends PSPB women packing in TT nationals

Manesar (Haryana), Feb 2: The women's team of top-seeded Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) paid the price for leaving out Pooja Sahasrabuddhe as she, turning out for Maharashtra A, put the latter in the final of the 78th Senior Table Tennis National Championships here on Thursday.

They will take on a strong West Bengal side, which had finished runner-up in the last edition at Hyderabad, in the final at the Manesar Sports Club.

In men's final, however, PSPB ensured their berth and will clash with hosts Haryana, who, too, had ended their campaign last year with the silver medal. PSPB and Haryana thrashed Gujarat and West Bengal respectively by an identical 3-0 margins in their semi-finals.

In women's semi-finals, it had all boiled down to the third singles in which Maharashtra's left-handed Shruti Amrute, a junior player, beat an in-form Mousumi Paul.

But then Pooja Sahasrabuddhe, who had given Maharashtra a flying start when she defeated Madhurika Patkar fo ten PSPB, had to win against the tricky veteran Mouma Das to seal their final berth. Had Mouma won the fourth rubber, PSPB could have fancied their chances with Madhurika to follow against Charvi Kawle.

However, Pooja, who failed to find a place in the PSPB squad and is turning out for Maharashtra, edged past Mouma.