Sourav Sengupta steals show in Audit TT

Chandigarh, Jul 30 (UNI) Accountant General West Bengal claimed the team championship as well as men's singles title in the IA and AD All-India Inter-Zonal Table Tennis Tournament at the Table Tennis Hall here today.

AG West Bengal proved too good for North Zone Audit champions Accountant General Uttar Pradesh by 3-1. West Bengal's star performer was Sourav Sengupta who won both his singles matches in the team championship and later defeated his colleague Samit Biswas in the men's singles final by 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6.

In the team championship AG Uttar Pradesh's Amit Srivastav raised false hopes for his team by defeating Samit Biswas by 11-7, 10-12, 11-5, 11-9 in the first singles.

However, AG West Bengal had other ideas. First Sourav Sengupta restored parity by beating SP Singh 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, while Santanu Banerjee gave West Bengal the lead by beating SK Tiwari by 11-0, 11-2, 11-3.

Fighting fit Sourav Sengupta dashed the AG Uttar Pradesh's hopes as he accounted for Amit Srivastav 8-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6 in the fourth and deciding singles.

North Zone Audit champion Gurvinder Kaur of AG Punjab was crowned All-India Audit champion as the top seed defeated Barnali Roy of West Bengal in a tough women's final by 11-7, 11-13, 4-11, 19-17, 11-9, 4-11, 17-15.

Though K Jairam of AG Andhra Pradesh won the veteran singles title, his rival in the final, Patanjali Kumar of AG Haryana, received the loud cheers as he received the runner-up trophy from Principal Accountant General Punjab RP Singh. This was 59-year-old Patanjali Kumar's last departmental tournament. K Jairam won 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6.

Results (all finals): Team championship: AG West Bengal bt AG Uttar Pradesh by 3-1 (Samit Biswas lost to Amit Srivastav 7-11, 12-10, 5-11, 9-11, Sourav Sengupta bt SP Singh 11-8, 11-9, 11-6, Santanu Banerjee bt SK Tiwari 11-0, 11-2, 11-3, Sourav Sengupta bt Amit Srivastav 8-11, 11-6, 4-11, 11-8, 11-6).

Men's singles: Sourav Sengupta (AG West Bengal) bt Samit Biswas (AG West Bengal) 11-5, 13-11, 3-11, 11-6, 5-11, 8-11, 11-3.

Men's Veteran's singles: K Jairam (AG Andhra Pradesh) bt Patanjali Kumar (AG Haryana) 7-11, 11-4, 11-5, 11-6.

Women's singles: Gurvinder Kaur (AG Punjab) bt Barnali Roy (AG West Bengal 11-7, 11-13, 4-11, 19-17, 4-11, 17-15.

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