PSPB paddlers warm up in style

The PSPB men's team cruised to two wins, while the women crushed Uttarakhand in the opening league tie.

Manika Batra led the way in the women beginning the title defence with a 3-0 win.

Defending champion Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) men and women’s outifts kicked off its 80th 11Sports Senior National Table Tennis Championship campaign in style. While the men’s team cruised to two wins - losing just one game en route convincing wins over Bihar and Maharashtra B - to seal a place in the pre-quarterfinals, the women crushed Uttarakhand in its opening league tie.

Despite veteran A. Sharath Kamal being rested for both the matches and G. Sathiyan skipping the match against Maharashtra B, the PSPB men thrashed Bihar and Maharashtra ‘B’ with an identical margin of 3-0 at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium on Friday.

The PSPB women too opened the title defence with a facile 3-0 win over Uttarakhand, with golden girl Manika Batra leading the petroleum charge.