Formidable Indian Airlines and Bank Sports Board crashed to humiliating 1-2 defeats in the Inter-Institution men's team championship quarter-finals, in the biggest upsets on the second day of the 34th Senior National and Inter-State Carrom Championships at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai on Wednesday.
Boasting of current world champion R M Shankara and former world champion Maria Irudayam, Airlines were shocked by All India Electricity Sports Control Board (AIESCB). After Suhas Pomendkar gave AIESCB a 1-0 lead, Shankara lived up to his reputation to beat J Kumar in the second tie. But Narsingh Rao was the hero of the day after he stunned Irudayam 2-0 to seal a famous win for AIESCB.
Even with former National champion Nagsen Etambe in their ranks, BSB went down to Indian Audit & Accounts Department.
Komal Kajrolkar and Sumedha Kharkhanis of Bank Sports Board (BSB) survived a huge scare before rallying to an exciting 2-1 win over S Jolly and S Rohini of Chhattisgarh in the women's doubles first round. Kajrolkar and Kharkhanis took the opening game without much ado, but Jolly and Rohini came back strongly to win the second game and force the decider. It was a tight third and final game, but the BSB pair handled the pressure much better to take the match away.
It was a rewarding day for Maharashtra's players, with former state champion Ayesha Mohammad and her partner Manisha Sawant coasting to a 2-0 win and Jyotsna Yelve and Urmilla Shendge advancing by the same margin in other women's doubles first round ties.
Results:
Inter-Institution Men's Team Championship (Q/F): PSPB bt P&T 2-1 (S Deorukhkar bt J P Das 25-12, 25-21, Yogesh Pardesi lost to V S Reddy 23-25, 0-25, K Ramesh Babu bt J N Shamsunder 25-16, 25-12); IAAD bt BSB 3-0 (A M Deoraj bt M Tambe 25-10, 9-25, 25-4; V Anilkumar bt Nagsen Etambe 12-25, 25-13, 25-9); Dilesh Khedekar bt Jagan Bengle 20-25, 25-5, 25-3); ; AIESCB bt Indian Airlines 2-1 (Suhas Pomendkar bt M Natraj 13-25, 25-9, 25-2; Narsingh Rao bt Maria Irudayam 25-12, 25-7; J Kumar lost to R M Shankara 0-25, 8-25).
Women's doubles (1st round): Komal Kajrolkar/Sumedha Kharkhanis (BSB) bt S Jolly/S Rohini (Chhattisgarh) 25-0, 8-25, 25-16; Ayesha Mohd./Manisha Sawant (Mah) bt Julie Sawant/Neera Pasricha (DASCB) 25-0, 25-7; Jyotsna Yelve/Urmilla Shendge (Mah) bt Shobha/Gazila Khan (MP) 25-0, 25-3; G Revathy/D Yuvarani (BSB) bt O Memthai/O Rebika (Manipur) 25-0, 25-0.