City paddler Snehit wins gold, silver and bronze in AAI Institutional Table Tennis

Representing the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD), Snehit produced one of the standout performances of the tournament by stunning two of India’s leading stars—Manav Thakkar and Ankur Bhattacharjee—on his way to the men’s singles final

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based SFR Snehit won three medals – a gold (in doubles), a silver (singles), and a bronze (team)- in the AAI 52nd Institutional Table Tennis Championships, which concluded at the Abhay Prashal stadium in Indore on Tuesday.

Representing the Indian Audit and Accounts Department (IA&AD), Snehit produced one of the standout performances of the tournament by stunning two of India’s leading stars—Manav Thakkar and Ankur Bhattacharjee—on his way to the men’s singles final. After a commanding 3-0 (11-7, 11-7, 11-2) win over India No. 3 Ankur in the pre-quarterfinals, he showcased remarkable composure to outplay world No. 34 Manav 4-2 (11-8, 5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 3-11, 11-7) in the semi-finals.

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In a gripping summit clash, Snehit went down fighting against PSPB’s Harmeet Desai, losing 3-4 (9-11, 9-11, 11-2, 11-8, 16-14, 5-11) to settle for a well-earned silver.
Earlier, Snehit teamed up with IA&AD colleague Abhimanyu Mitra to capture the men’s doubles gold, defeating the West Bengal pair of Ankur Bhattacharjee and Shankhadip Das 3-2 (11-6, 11-7, 4-11, 9-11, 11-9) in a hard-fought final. The duo had edged past Preyesh Raj and Anirban Ghosh (RSPB) 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-6) in the semi-finals.

Snehit also led from the front in the team event, guiding IA&AD to a bronze medal after their campaign ended in the semi-finals against eventual champions PSPB.
“It was an outstanding tournament for Snehit. He showcased his full potential, and his fightback in the finals was exceptional. Just unfortunate that he missed the title by a whisker,” said his coach, Somnath Ghosh.

An elated Snehit said the performance marked a turning point. “I finally found my rhythm in a crucial tournament. I was repeatedly getting stuck at the quarterfinal stage earlier, so this feels like a real breakthrough,” he said.

With a medal in every event he participated in, Snehit has shown his mettle at the highly competitive national circuit.