Hosts Maharashtra and strong contenders Gujarat emerged among the standout teams as the opening two rounds of the 32nd Masters National Table Tennis Championships got underway at the Balewadi Indoor Stadium in Pune on Friday.
In the men’s 80+ category, Karnataka registered a 3-1 win over Maharashtra in Group A, while Gujarat dominated Group B with successive victories over Madhya Pradesh and Delhi, both by convincing margins. Delhi and Madhya Pradesh also recorded wins against Tamil Nadu, who struggled to make an impact.
The 75+ section saw Maharashtra assert complete control in Group A, blanking Telangana and Karnataka 3-0 emphatically. Chandigarh and Rajasthan also advanced smoothly in their respective groups, while Gujarat and Maharashtra prevailed over Maharashtra ‘A’ in Group C.
In the 70+ category, Maharashtra continued their strong showing with identical 3-0 wins over Telangana and Tamil Nadu. Delhi topped Group B with commanding victories, while Madhya Pradesh emerged from a competitive Group C, edging Karnataka in a close 3-2 encounter after defeating Maharashtra ‘A’.
Maharashtra outplay Andhra in 65+ category
The 65+ division witnessed Maharashtra maintaining their dominance, outplaying Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh without dropping a game. Delhi bounced back after an opening loss to Chandigarh to secure wins over Karnataka ‘A’ and Tamil Nadu ‘A’. Gujarat, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra ‘A’ also notched up important victories across their groups.
The largest field, the 60+ category, produced several one-sided as well as closely fought matches. Gujarat and Bengal were particularly impressive with consistent wins, while Maharashtra teams, both ‘A’ and ‘B’, progressed comfortably in their respective groups. Andhra Pradesh recorded one of the closest results of the round, edging Delhi 3-2. Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan were among other teams to register wins.
With the competition intensifying, several top teams have already staked their claim for knockout berths. Other group matches are currently in progress, with the race for qualification heating up across all age categories.
Results (team): Men’s 80+ Round 1 & 2: Group A: Karnataka beat Maharashtra 3-1.
Group B: Gujarat beat Madhya Pradesh 3-1, Delhi beat Tamil Nadu 3-0; Madhya Pradesh beat Tamil Nadu 3-0, Gujarat beat Delhi 3-0; Gujarat w/o Tamil Nadu 3-0.
Men’s 75+ Round 1 & 2: Group A: Maharashtra beat Telangana 3-0; Maharashtra beat Karnataka 3-0, Maharashtra beat Karnataka 3-0.
Group B: Chandigarh beat Tamil Nadu ‘A’ 3-0; Rajasthan beat Tamil Nadu 3-0.
Group C: Gujarat beat Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-0; Rajasthan beat Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-0.
Men’s 70+ Round 1 & 2: Group A: Maharashtra beat Telangana 3-0; Maharashtra beat Tamil Nadu 3-0.
Group B: Delhi beat Maharashtra ‘B’ 3-0; Delhi beat Gujarat 1.
Group C: Karnataka beat Tamil Nadu ‘A’ 3-0, Madhya Pradesh beat Maharashtra ‘A’ 3-1; Madhya Pradesh beat Karnataka 3-2.
Men’s 65+ Round 1 & 2: Group A: Maharashtra beat Andhra Pradesh 3-0, Maharashtra beat UP 3-0.
Group B: Chandigarh beat Delhi 3-0, Delhi beat Karnataka ‘A’ 3-0; Delhi beat Tamil Nadu ‘A’ 3-0
Group C: Gujarat beat Tamil Nadu 3-0, Bengal beat Haryana 3-1.
Group D: Tamil Nadu beat Delhi ‘A’ 3-0.
Group E: Maharashtra ‘A’ beat Rajasthan 3-0.
Men’s 60+ Round 1 & 2: Group A: Gujarat beat Chandigarh 3-0; Gujarat beat Karnataka ‘A’ 3-0.
Group B: Bengal beat Rajasthan 3-0, Bengal beat Madhya Pradesh ‘A’.
Group C: Bengal beat Rajasthan ‘A’ 3-0, Maharashtra beat Tamil Nadu ‘A’ 3-0
Group D: Andhra Pradesh beat Delhi 3-2.
Group E: Maharashtra beat Telangana 3-0; Maharashtra beat Goa 3-0.
Group F: Karnataka ‘A’ beat Delhi ‘A’ 3-0, Maharashtra ‘B’ beat Goa 3-0.
Group G: Chhattisgarh beat Telangana ‘A’ 3-0, Odisha beat Bengal ‘A’ 2-3.
Group H: Gujarat ‘A’ beat Rajasthan ‘A’ 3-0, Uttar Pradesh beat Meghalaya 3-1; Rajasthan beat Meghalaya 3-0.
