Manush Shah stars as U Mumba Defeat Dempo Goa Challengers 8-5 to Clinch UTT Season 7 Title

U Mumba were crowned Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 7 champions after defeating Dempo Goa Challengers 8-5 in a thrilling final at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium in Goa on Sunday (July 26).

The Mumbai-based franchise produced a composed display before Anusha sealed the title in dramatic fashion by edging the final game 11-10, earning U Mumba the decisive eighth point and their second UTT crown in a row.

The contest began with Dempo Goa Challengers taking the opening men’s singles match as Abhinandh defeated Lilian Bardet 2-1, giving the hosts an early advantage. U Mumba lost again immediately as Bernadette Szocs overcame Anna Hursey 2-1 in the women’s singles.

With a 2-4 trail, Manush Shah rallied the back in the final. The momentum swung firmly in U Mumba’s favour in the mixed doubles, where the pairing of Syndrela Das and Alvaro Robles were dominated by Anna Hursey and Manush Shah with a comprehensive 3-0 victory. The clean sweep handed U Mumba a crucial lead and put Dempo Goa Challengers under pressure heading into the remaining matches.

Dempo responded through Manush, who defeated Alvaro Robles 2-1 in the second men’s singles to reduce the deficit and keep the contest alive. With the title still within reach for both sides, the final women’s singles became the championship decider.

Representing Go, Syndrela Das faced Anusha Kutumbale in the final encounter. With just a set to win in a gripping final game, Kutumbale edged it 11-10 to secure U Mumba’s eighth point and officially clinch the championship with an 8-5 victory.

The triumph capped another impressive campaign for U Mumba, who once again showcased their depth across singles and doubles. This was also the first defeat for Dempo Goa in the entire tournament, as they earlier beat the U Mumba side in the group stages.

U Mumba coach John Murphy heaped praises on Manush Shah for his herculean performance.

“When you have world-class players, Manush is a top singles player and even a better doubles player. He has worked hard the whole tournament. We could see when we made the finals, Manush was really firing, and he was the star of the semis and the final,” he said.

U Mumba beat Dempo Goa Challengers 8-5

Abhinandh Pradhibadhi (Goa) beat Lilian Bardet 2-1

Bernadette Szocs (Goa) beat Anna Hursey 2-1

Manush Shah/Anna Hursey (U Mumba) beat Syndrela Das/Alvaro Robles 3-0

Manush Shah (U Mumba) beat Alvaro Robles 2-1

Anusha Kutumbale (U Mumba) beat Syndrela Das 1-0 (via Golden Point)