10 july 2026 (Navroze Bureau) : Two-time champions Dempo Goa Challengers made a perfect start to their Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 campaign with a convincing 10-5 victory over defending champions U Mumba TT in the opening tie at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Panaji. Teenage sensation Abhinandh PB and reigning league MVP Bernadette Szocs starred for the hosts, delivering dominant performances in both singles and mixed doubles.
Abhinandh set the tone by defeating France’s Lilian Bardet in straight games in the opening men’s singles, despite facing a higher-ranked opponent. Szocs followed with an equally impressive display in the women’s singles, extending Goa’s lead with another commanding victory.
The momentum remained firmly with the home side in the mixed doubles, where Abhinandh and Szocs combined effectively to beat U Mumba’s Manush Shah and Anna Hursey in a three-game contest. Their victory ensured Goa had built an unassailable lead with two matches still to play.
Although U Mumba reduced the deficit in the closing matches, including a win by captain Manush Shah in the second men’s singles and a comeback victory by Anna Hursey in the final women’s singles, the defending champions were unable to recover from Goa’s dominant start.
Abhinandh’s outstanding performance earned him multiple individual honours, including Match IQ Player of the Tie, Indian Player of the Tie, and Shot of the Tie. Szocs was named the Foreign Player of the Tie, capping a memorable opening night for the Goa franchise.
The emphatic win gives Dempo Goa Challengers an early boost in their bid for a record third UTT title, while reigning champions U Mumba will look to regroup quickly as the tournament progresses.