Balbir Singh and Patanjali Sinha emerged victorious in the men's doubles table tennis event at the National Games, securing the gold medal after a hard-fought final. The duo defeated the top-seeded pair of Harmeet Desai and Manav Thakkar in a thrilling match that went down to the wire.
Match Highlights
The final, held at the Chandigarh Club, saw Balbir and Patanjali display exceptional teamwork and skill. They won the match 4-3, with scores of 11-9, 9-11, 11-8, 8-11, 11-7, 7-11, and 11-9. The victory was particularly sweet as they had lost to the same pair in the semifinals of the previous edition.
Road to Gold
En route to the final, Balbir and Patanjali defeated several strong opponents. In the quarterfinals, they beat the pair from Maharashtra, and in the semifinals, they overcame the challenge from Tamil Nadu. Their consistent performance throughout the tournament earned them the top spot on the podium.
Reactions
After the match, Balbir expressed his delight, saying, "We have been working hard on our combination, and it paid off today. We are happy to win the gold for our state." Patanjali added, "The support from the crowd was amazing, and we are grateful for this achievement."
The bronze medal in the event was won by the pair from West Bengal, who defeated the Karnataka duo in the third-place match.
