UTT 2024: Dabang Delhi pip Goa Challengers 9-6, move to fourth in table

Chennai: Dabang Delhi captain Sathiyan Gnanasekaran led the fight against Goa Challengers’ Mihai Bobocica at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium today, setting the stage for his team’s first win of UTT 2024.

Delhi's 9-6 win over Goa puts them in fourth position, and Goa, the defending champions, are in fifth position.

Bobocica took the first game 11-8, a game that featured a 23-shot rally, the highest of the season so far. Sathiyan, however, showed remarkable grit and won the subsequent two games to claim a 2-1 victory, setting the tone for Delhi.

In the tie’s first women’s singles, Dabang Delhi’s Orawan Paranang scripted history by becoming the first paddler to defeat Yangzi Liu in UTT.

Paranang stunned her opponent with an 11-7 win in Game 1, before taking Game 2 and, consequently, the match, thanks to the golden point. Liu had some reprieve in game three, winning it and ending the fixture 2-1.

Paranang got the better of Liu again in the mixed doubles that followed, this time alongside her partner Sathiyan.

The Dabang Delhi pair together beat Liu and Harmeet Desai 2-1, putting Delhi in a commanding position after three matches.

Later, in the second men’s singles, Goa's captain Harmeet bounced back from a game down to beat Andreas Levenko 2-1, his first victory at UTT 2024.

Diya Chitale, who recorded her first win in Delhi's previous tie, made it two in a row for herself with her decisive win over Goa's Yashaswini Ghorpade.

Delhi will be in action next on 30th August against Puneri Paltans and Goa will face Chennai Lions on 31st August, in their next fixture.

Detailed Scores

Dabang Delhi beat Goa Challengers 9-6:

Sathiyan G. beats Mihai Bobocia 2-1 (8-11, 11-9, 11-9);

Orawan Pranang beats Yangzi Liu 2-1 (11-7, 11-10, 6-11);

Sathiyan/Paranang beats Harmeet/Liu 2-1 (11-7, 11-4, 7-11);

Andreas Levenko lost to Harmeet Desai 1-2 (11-7, 8-11, 9-11);

Diya Chitale beats Yashaswini Ghorpade 2-1 (11-10, 11-6, 3-11)