Defending champion Saurabh Verma handed out a straight-game defeat to P. Kashyap to expedite Oil and Natural Gas Corporation’s 3-0 victory that dethroned Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) in the men’s team final of the Petroleum inter-unit badminton tournament here on Tuesday.
Verma raced away with the final seven points as Kashyap surrendered five match points without a fight in the second singles.
Verma won 21-13, 22-20 after H.S. Prannoy stopped a fighting K. Srikanth 21-16, 11-21, 21-19 in the opening singles.
In the doubles, the experience of Rupesh Kumar and V. Diju proved more effective than the energy of youngsters Arun Vishnu and K. Srikanth in straight games.
In the women’s section, too, there was disappointment for IOCL after BPCL’s P.V. Sindhu and Aditi Mutatkar won the singles to set up a 2-1 triumph.
Sindhu bounced back from the loss of the first game to blast Tanvi Lad 19-21, 21-6, 21-9.
In the doubles that followed, Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant targeted Sindhu who played in the company of G. Jwala.
This light-hearted tie went IOCL’s way when Aparna and Sawant converted their third match point to win 21-14, 26-24.
In the deciding singles, featuring two former National champions, Aditi Mutatkar proved too good for Trupti Murgunde.
The results (Team championship final): Men: Oil and Gas Natural Corporation (ONGC) bt Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) 3-0 (H.S. Prannoy bt K. Srikanth 21-16, 11-21, 21-19; Saurabh Verma bt P. Kashyap 21-13, 22-20; Rupesh Kumar and V. Diju bt Arun Vishnu and K. Srikanth 21-16, 22-20.
Women: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL) beat Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) 2-1 (Tanvi Lad lost to P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 6-21, 9-21; Aparna Balan and Prajakta Sawant bt G. Jwala and P.V. Sindhu 21-14, 26-24; Trupti Murgunde bt Aditi Mutatkar 21-16, 21-11.
