Table Tennis: Aakula Sreeja wins Inter-Institutional gold

Aakula Sreeja emerged champion in the women’s singles at the 50th All India Inter-Institutional Table Tennis Championship in Visakhapatnam

Hyderabad: Hyderabad table tennis player Aakula Sreeja emerged champion in the women’s singles at the 50th All India Inter-Institutional Table Tennis Championship in Visakhapatnam on Tuesday.

Representing the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Commonwealth Games mixed team gold medallist Sreeja defeated Moumita Dutta (RSPB) 4-0 (11-6, 11-7, 13-11, 11-5) in the final. She outsmarted RBI colleague Diya Chitale 4-2 (16-14, 11-6, 11-6, 4-11, 7-11, 11-8) in the semifinals.

---

Meanwhile, another Hyderabad player SFR Snehit, representing AAI, settled for a bronze medal after losing his semifinal clash against Manush Shah of RBI 2-4 (10-12, 11-7, 11-13, 11-7, 11-8, 11-4). Achanta Sharat Kamal clinched the men’s title by beating Manush 4-2 in the final.

In the team event, Snehit-led AAI and Sreeja led RBI team won silver medals in men’s and women’s sections respectively. In the team finals, Snehit beat Sharat Kamal (PSPB) 3-1 but the strong PSPB team won the team event 1-3.

Somnath Ghosh, coach of Sreeja and Snehit, expressed happiness over the performance of his wards. “It’s a great tournament. Happy to have lifted the inter-institutional title for the first time,” Sreeja said.