West Bengal stamped its authority at the 38th National Games, clinching a double gold in the team championships at the Parade Ground Indoor Hall in Dehradun.
After their women’s team dethroned Maharashtra with a commanding 3-1 victory, the Bengal men followed suit, dismantling their Maharashtra counterparts in a one-sided final.
Maharashtra men and their women had to be contended with the silver medals. Tamil Nadu and Telangana men had to be satisfied with the bronze with Haryana and Delhi women.
Maharashtra was expected to put up a fight, but the contest slipped away in the opening tie despite a five-game thriller.
Anirban Ghosh set the tone with a crucial win over Jash Modi, tilting the psychological edge in Bengal’s favour.
Akash Pal, relentless in attack, made quick work of Raegan Albuquerque, sealing a 3-0 win in a match filled with electrifying long rallies.
With Bengal in control, Sourav Saha—stepping in for Ronit Bhanja—faced left-hander Chinmaya Somaiya, who focused more on defence than offence.
Sourav loved and cashed in on it, wrapping up the tie decisively and securing Bengal’s triumph, making the Dehradun Games a lasting memory.
The women’s team final was a battle of fine margins, where Bengal’s experience ultimately triumphed over Maharashtra’s youthful energy.
Sutirtha nearly faltered due to her cautious approach but found her rhythm in the deciding game to shut out Swastika.
Diya Chitale’s commanding 3-0 victory over Ayhika immediately levelled the score, setting the stage for a crucial third match.
Poymantee, despite conceding a game, held firm against the young and promising Taneesha.
In the fourth tie, Ayhika’s variation in pace and pimpled rubber disrupted Swastika’s rhythm, racing to a 2-0 lead.
Swastika clawed back a game, momentarily shifting momentum, but Ayhika’s resilience saw her storm ahead to match points.
Swastika briefly threatened after the deuce, even holding a game point, but Ayhika clinched the final two points to spark jubilant celebrations in the Bengal camp.
In the men’s semifinals, top-seeded Tamil Nadu fell to fourth-seeded West Bengal in a gripping contest.
Sathiyan’s slow start in the opener nearly cost him, but he recovered in the decider against Akash Pal to put his team 1-0 ahead.
The advantage was short-lived as Anthony Amalraj’s tame defeat to Anirban Ghosh added pressure on young P.B. Abhinand, who was outclassed in straight games by Ronit Bhanja. With West Bengal leading 2-1, Tamil Nadu teetered on the edge, but Sathiyan showcased his experience, battling from 1-2 down to edge out Anirban 3-2 and keeping his team alive.
The decider between Akash and Amalraj swung dramatically. Amalraj seemed in control with a 2-1 lead, but Akash’s relentless aggression in the final two games sealed a remarkable 3-2 comeback win for Bengal.
In the other men’s semifinal Maharashtra’s attacking prowess overwhelmed Telangana. Jash Modi brushed aside SFR Snehit in straight games, and Reagan Albuquerque followed up with a dominant 3-0 win over Mohammad Ali.
With Maharashtra up 2-0, Telangana’s Swarnendu Chowdhury fought back by taking the opening game against Chinmaya Somaiya, but Chinmaya responded with three straight wins to complete the rout.
Maharashtra’s women’s team made light work of a depleted Haryana side after Suhana Saini sat on the bench with a shoulder injury, securing a 3-0 victory. Swastika Ghosh was clinical in her straight-game win over Prithoki Chakraborty, even as Taneesha Kotecha and Diya Chitale had to work slightly harder, dropping a game each against Sneha Bhowmick and Sreedatri Roy before closing out their respective matches.
Meanwhile, second-seeded West Bengal cruised past Delhi with an identical 3-0 scoreline. Ayhika Mukherjee dropped a game against Lakshita Narang but sealed the tie, before Sutirtha Mukherjee and Poymantee Baisya dismantled Vanshika Bhargava and Vanshika Mudgal with minimal fuss, ensuring Bengal’s place in the final.
38th National Games 2025Results:
Women’s Team: Final: West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-1 (Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Swastika Ghosh 11-8, 6-11, 14-12, 2-11, 11-5, Ayhika Mukherjee lost to Diya Chitale 10-12, 6-11, 5-11, Poymantee Baisya bt Taneesha Kotecha 11-8, 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, Ayhika bt Swastika 11-8, 11-6, 13-11).
Semifinals: Maharashtra bt Haryana 3-0 (Diya Chitale bt Sneha Bhowmick 11-3, 12-14, 11-8, 12-10, Swastika Ghosh bt Prithoki Chakraborti 11-6, 11-2, 11-9, Taneesha Kotecha bt Sreedatri Roy 11-6, 7-11, 11-7, 11-3); West Bengal bt Delhi 3-0 (Ayhika Mukherjee bt Lakshita Narang 11-6, 11-5, 6-11, 11-6, Sutirtha Mukherjee bt Vanshika Bhargava 11-8, 13-11, 11-6, Poymantee Baisya bt Vanshika Mudgal 12-10, 11-5, 11-9).
Men’s Team: Final: West Bengal bt Maharashtra 3-0 (Anirban Ghosh bt Jash Modi 11-7, 10-12, 5-11, 11-6, 11-4, Akash Pal bt Raegan Albuquerque 11-5, 11-8, 12-10, Sourav Saha bt Chinmaya Somaiya 11-7, 11-8, 8-11, 11-6).
Semifinals: West Bengal bt Tamil Nadu 3-2 (Akash Pal lost to G. Sathiyan 9-11, 11-7, 8-11, 12-10, 6-11, Anirban Ghosh bt A. Amalraj 11-7, 11-5, 11-5, Ronit Bhanja bt P.B. Abhinand 11-5, 11-6, 11-4, Anirban lost to Sathiyan 11-6, 6-11, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, Akash bt Amalraj 13-11, 11-13, 8-11, 11-8, 11-7); Maharashtra bt Telangana 3-0 (Jash Modi bt SFR Snehit 11-6, 11-7, 11-9, Raegan Albuquerque bt Mohammad Ali 11-9, 11-9, 11-6, Chinmaya Somaiya bt Swarnendu Chowdhury 10-12, 11-1, 11-9, 11-3).
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