New Delhi: Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) maintained their stranglehold on the national team championship for 15 successive year after comfortably clinching the double crown in the 69th ATS Inter State-Inter Zonal badminton championship here today.
The defending champions never looked under pressure throughout the tournament at the Siri Fort Sports Complex and didn't break much sweat during the men's and women's finals against Air India today.
The men's team -- led by former national champion Sourabh Varma -- dropped just one point in doubles as PSPB sailed through 3-1 to lift the Rahimtoola Cup, while the women bulldozed their opponents 2-0 without much ado.
Varma began the march with a 21-13, 21-12 win over Anand Pawar and it was left to RMV Guru Sai Dutt to complete the formalities with a 21-19, 21-15 victory over Harsheel Dani.
In between, Air India's men's doubles combination of Akshay Dewalkar and Sanyam Shukla saved a game point in the first game before getting the better of K Tarun and Pranaav Chopra 24-22, 21-15.
The women's final turned out to be an one-sided affair with world championship bronze medallist P V Sindhu defeating national champion Sayali Gokhale in straight games and Ashwini Ponnappa and Jwala Gutta completing the scoreline.
Results (finals)
Rahimtoola Cup for men: PSPB bt Air India 3-1 (Sourabh Varma bt Anand Pawar 21-13, 21-12; K Srikanth bt Aditya Joshi 21-19, 21-16; K Tarun/Pranaav Chopra lost to Akshay Dewalkar/Sanyam Shukla 22-24, 15-21; RMV Guru Sai Dutt 21-19, 21-15)
Chadha Cup for women: PSPB beat Air India 2-0 (PV Sindhu vs Sayali Gokhale 21-16, 21-17; Ashwini Ponnappa/Jwala Gutta bt Saili Rane/Sanyogita Ghorpade 21-12, 21-12).
