Ayhika Mukherjee Becomes First Indian to Win Women’s Singles Title at Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, Harmeet Desai Clinch Gold in Men’s Singles As Team India Clean Sweeps Top-Honours

Ayhika Mukherjee scripted history by becoming the first Indian paddler to win a women’s singles title in the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. She beat Madhurika Patkar 11-6, 11-4, 11-9, 19-17 in the final match of the tournament. Harmeet Desai also clinched the men’s singles title after beating the more fancied Sathiyan Gnanasekaran 9-11, 6-11, 11-5, 11-8, 17-15, 7-11, 11-9 in the final. Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships 2019: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran-Archana Kamath Win Mixed Gold, Sharath Kamal Loses Men's Singles Semifinal.

Desai is the only second Indian after Sharath Kamal to win the men’s singles title at the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships, while Ayhika became the first-ever women to win the women’s singles title. Earlier, Ayhika overcame top-seed Ho Tin-Tin in the semi-finals to reach the final and make it an all-Indian summit clash. The men’s singles final was also an all-Indian final clash.

Team India Dominates Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships

Meanwhile, India thoroughly dominated the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships clinching gold in each of the team, singles and double events. Team India won gold medals in each of the singles events in both the men’s and women’s category, in both the men’s and women’s team events and as well as the men’s, women’s and mixed double events.

Sathiyan and Archana Kamath defeated Singapore's Peng Yu En Koen–Goi Rui Xuan 3-0 in the final to win the mixed-doubles title. Their victory in the summit clash was sort of some revenge for India as the Singaporean duo of En Koen–Goi Rui Xuan had beaten Sharath Kamal and Sreeja Akula in the semi-final match.

Meanwhile, Desai beat compatriot Sushmit Sriram 4-1 to reach the final, while top-seed and India's Sathiyan defeated Bode Abiodun of Nigeria 4-0 to progress. In the women's category, Ayhika beat fellow Indian Mousumi Paul in straight games, while Madhurika overcame Krittiwika Sinha Roy 4-1 in the last-four.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 22, 2019 07:20 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).