Goa, July 26 (IANS) U Mumba TT produced a stirring comeback to end Dempo Goa Challengers’ historic unbeaten run and successfully defend their Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 title with an 8-5 victory in a gripping Gra
grand finale on Sunday at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.
Trailing 4-2 after the opening two matches, the defending champions responded spectacularly. Captain Manush Shah and Anna Hursey ignited the turnaround with a commanding mixed doubles victory before Manush produced a captain’s win against 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 defeat of the season. The triumph saw U Mumba draw level with Goa as the competition’s most successful franchise, with two titles each.
Speaking on the league’s impact, 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. When we launched this league, we said Indian players had to improve and that India had to win an Olympic medal, and that remains our goal. We are getting closer with every passing year. Our players are performing exceptionally well. Manav and Manush are now World No. 2, while players like Syndrela and Divyanshi continue to make impressive progress. These are reassuring signs that UTT is providing the right platform and exposure for Indian players to compete and succeed at the highest level.”
U Mumba completed a memorable double after also lifting the Dream UTT Juniors title earlier in the month, becoming the first team to do so and capping a remarkable campaign for the franchise.
Commenting on the success of the league, Bajaj said, “As we conclude the seventh season of Butterfly UTT, it is gratifying to see how the league continues to grow stronger with each passing year. The quality of competition, the emergence of Indian talent and the passion shown by fans reaffirm our vision for the sport. I would like to thank the players, franchises, the Table Tennis Federation of India, our partners, broadcasters and everyone who has supported this journey. Their unwavering belief has helped Butterfly UTT become a world-class platform for table tennis in India.”
The title clash opened with one of the season’s marquee contests as breakout Indian star Abhinandh PB defeated Lilian Bardet 2-1, winning the opening two games. Bernadette Szocs then rallied from a game down against Anna Hursey to extend Goa’s advantage to 4-2.
U Mumba found inspiration in the mixed doubles. Manush and Hursey stretched their winning streak as a pair to six matches, sweeping Robles and Syndrela Das in straight games to swing the momentum. The defending champions carried that confidence into the men’s singles, where Manush recovered after dropping the opening game to Robles, edging a tense second game 11-10 before closing out the decider 11-5 to hand U Mumba a crucial 7-5 lead.
Everything came down to the final match. Facing Syndrela, Anusha showed composure under pressure. Syndrela erased a 5-9 deficit to level at 10-10, but Anusha held her nerve to clinch the decisive point 11-10, sparking jubilant celebrations. The title also marked a successful campaign for coaches John Murphy and Jay Modak, who were brought back by the franchise and guided the team to a second consecutive Butterfly UTT crown.
The league’s top individual performers were recognised at the conclusion of the season. U Mumba TT captain Manush and teammate Hursey were named the Men’s and Women’s Most Valuable Players respectively, while PBG Pune Jaguars’ Omar Assar claimed the Shot of the League award. Dempo Goa Challengers’ breakout star Abhinandh PB was honoured as the ChatGPT Player of the League.
Meanwhile, their contributions in the final earned Manush and Hursey the Indian and the Foreign Player of the Tie awards, respectively. Manush also collected the ChatGPT Player of the Tie and the Bisleri Shot of the Tie to cap an unforgettable evening.
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)
–IANS
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