Indore witnessed a display of authority and depth as the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) completed a memorable golden double at the AAI 52nd Institutional Table Tennis Championships, clinching both the men’s and women’s team titles with emphatic 3–0 victories in their respective finals at the Abhay Prashal on December 26.
It was a fitting culmination to a tournament where PSPB asserted control not through individual dependence, but through collective strength, experience, and composure under pressure.
The men’s final carried an added edge. Twelve months earlier, PSPB had fallen short against the Railway Sports Promotion Board (RSPB), and the 2025 final offered a chance for redemption. This time, there was no ambiguity. PSPB settled old scores decisively, producing a flawless sweep that underlined their intent from the opening rubber to the last point.
Harmeet Desai set the tone with a ruthless dismantling of Railways’ top man Akash Pal. The contest never truly found balance. Akash, unusually off-colour, struggled with consistency, pushing balls long or into the net, while Harmeet’s control and variation exposed every weakness. Calm and clinical, Harmeet barely shifted gears as he wrapped up the match in straight games, handing PSPB an early and crucial lead.
The second rubber promised intrigue when Jeet Chandra surged ahead against world No. 35 Manav Thakkar. Twice Jeet edged tight deuce games to go 2–0 up, briefly threatening to swing momentum Railways’ way. But Manav’s response was the hallmark of a seasoned champion. He recalibrated quickly, tightened his service patterns, varied placement, and embraced longer rallies to drain Jeet’s aggression. The third game proved pivotal. From there, Manav dictated terms, winning the next three games with growing authority and pushing PSPB to the brink of the title.
With momentum firmly behind them, PSPB turned to experience. G. Sathiyan, coming into the final with lingering doubts after an early setback in the tournament, faced Ronit Bhanja with both pressure and pride at stake. After conceding a deuce game, Sathiyan leaned on his vast experience. His backhand came alive in extended rallies, repeatedly breaking Ronit’s resistance. Winning the fourth game convincingly, Sathiyan raced through the decider, sealing the tie and exhaling deeply as PSPB completed a perfect men’s final.
The afternoon became even more special when PSPB’s women mirrored the men’s performance with an identical 3–0 victory over the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Despite resting marquee names Yashaswini Ghorpade and Reeth Rishaya, PSPB showcased the depth and maturity of their system.
A young trio Taneesha Kotecha, Swastika Ghosh, and Syndrela Das rose to the occasion, delivering a performance that reaffirmed PSPB’s dominance in the season’s second-highest ranking points event.
RBI’s challenge revolved heavily around Diya Chitale, and the pressure on her shoulders was evident from the outset. In the opening rubber, Diya raced to a 2–1 lead against Taneesha, seemingly on course to give RBI the start they needed. But momentum slipped away under sustained pressure. A side strain hampered her movement, yet the turning point came when the fourth game drifted to deuce. Taneesha seized the opportunity with composure, and in a tense fifth game, edged home narrowly to hand PSPB a vital psychological edge.
The second match followed a similar narrative of resistance and reversal. Riding confidence from her semifinal win, Nikhat Banu stunned Swastika Ghosh by sprinting to a 2–0 lead, briefly reigniting RBI’s hopes. But Swastika responded with trademark aggression. Shaking off an uncharacteristically tentative start, she flipped the script entirely, catching Nikhat off guard and storming through the next three games to double PSPB’s lead.
Any lingering suspense was efficiently extinguished in the third rubber. PSPB’s youngest member, Syndrela Das, played with maturity beyond her years against Priyadarsini. Using angles and width intelligently, she unsettled her opponent early. Though she briefly conceded ground in the second game, Syndrela remained unwavering in intent, closing out the third and fourth games calmly to seal the title.
The golden double was built on foundations laid earlier in the tournament. In the men’s semifinals, PSPB brushed aside Indian Audit 3–1, with Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar playing decisive roles. Railways, meanwhile, earned their place in the final with a hard-fought 3–1 win over the Airports Authority of India. On the women’s side, PSPB overcame Indian Audit 3–1, while RBI edged RSPB 3–2 in a dramatic semifinal to set up the final showdown.
For Railways and RBI, the finals highlighted areas still needing cohesion. Railways struggled to convert moments of promise into sustained pressure, while RBI’s resistance was anchored largely around individual brilliance rather than collective depth. For PSPB, the message was unmistakable. Their dominance was not reliant on one or two stars, but on a system that consistently produces players ready to perform under pressure.
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As the Championships now shift focus to the singles and doubles events, PSPB move forward not just as champions, but as the benchmark.
Completing a golden double in emphatic fashion, they left Indore having delivered a statement of supremacy one defined by balance, resilience, and championship temperament across both men’s and women’s teams.
