KARACHI, Nov 23: Hosts Sindh ‘A’ and Punjab ‘A’ stormed into the girls team event final of the 12th National junior table tennis championship which got under way at the Barkat Bhai hall, Hyderabad on Wednesday.
According to information made available here, Punjab ‘A’ first inflicted a 3-1 defeat on Punjab ‘B’ and later outplayed Sindh ‘B’ 3-0.
Similarly, Sindh ‘A’ chalked up two successive wins defeating Sindh ‘B’ and Punjab ‘B’ by identical score line of 3-0.
Four teams, two each of Sindh and Punjab, are taking part in the girls’ team event.
The final between Sindh ‘A’ and Punjab ‘A’ will be played on Thursday.
Punjab ‘B’ and title holders Railways conjured up convincing victories in the boys’ team event. The former accounted for Sindh ‘B’ 3-1 while the latter triumphed 3-1 over NWFP.
As many as seven teams Sindh (2), Punjab (2) and Railways, Balochistan and NWFP, one each, are competing in the boys’ team event.
Apart from the team events, the championship is being contested in boys’ singles and doubles and girls’ singles and doubles.
Meanwhile, according to secretary, Sindh Table Tennis Association (STTA), Saleem Ahmed, a panel of doctors decided that four players - Muzammil, Asad Umer (Sindh), Waqas (NWFP), and Sultan (Railways) would not be allowed to compete in the next edition of the championship.
It is alleged that though they are under-18, at the same time they have allegedly manoeuvred by reducing their ages two to three years in their birth certificates.
As per directives of the Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF), players born on or after 1-1-1988 were eligible to compete in the event.