Sathiyan wins Spanish Open gold
MUMBAI: Dena Bank SC got the better of West Zone United by a close 3-2 margin in a Super Division match of the MDFA League 2017-2018 and played at the Andheri Sports Complex on Monday. Arafat Ansari was the hero for Dena Bank scoring two goals after Denzil Mascarenhas had scored the first goal. Hatim Kapsi scored twice in the second half for the losers. In evenly balanced and well-contested encounter, Dena Bank went ahead in the 36th minute through Denzil Mascarenhas and three minutes later Ansari scored his first goal to double the lead. After the change of ends, Kapasi reduced the deficit when he found the net in the 55th minute before Ansari got his second in the 69th to give Dena Bank an insurance goal. Kapsai was again on target getting his and West Zone’s second goal in the 79th minute. Results: Super Div: Dena Bank 3 (Denzil Mascarenhas 36th, Arafat Ansari 39th, 68th) beat West Zone United 2 (Hatim Kapsi 55th, 79th). Indian table tennis player G. Sathiyan clinched the gold medal after defeating Japans Kazuhiro Yoshimura 4-2 (11-7, 3-11, 11-6, 6-11, 13-11, 11-7) in the men's singles final of the 2017 ITTF Challenge Spanish Open here.
The ninth seeded Indian's calculated game enabled him to prevail over the 11th seed, who displayed sheer power on Sunday night.
Incidentally, this was Sathiyan's second major title as he had won the singles gold two years ago in the ITTF World Tour Belgium Open.
Leading 2-1, Sathiyan led the fourth game 42 but Yoshimura won the next four points to go 6-4 up and from there he never surrendered.
Sathiyan played brilliantly in the next and led 7-6 before calling timeout. On returning, the Indian moved ahead 9-7 but then lost the next three points when the score stood 2-2.
With the match hanging in the balance, Yoshimura had a good chance of taking a 3-2 lead but lost miserably despite being 11-10.
Sathiyan won the next three points to secure the game and consolidate his position.
In the sixth game, Sathiyan was confidence personified as he went ahead 5-2, to force the Japanese to call timeout.
But it did not help him much as Sathiyan, pressing home the advantage, stepped on the gas pedal to create a wide gap, taking complete control of the final. Incidentally, this was the second ITTF Challenge Series title won by an Indian this year after Soumyajit Ghosh beat compatriot Anthony Amalraj in the Chile Open final a few months ago.