Titles for Nigeria, Singapore

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, APRIL 18. This defeat is sure to haunt India for a long time. What is going to rankle the host is the fact that it did not cash in on the chances after creating them in plenty.

But all credit to Nigeria which kept bouncing back just when the Indians were looking good to restore parity. The 4- 2 result gave Nigeria its first men's team title in the Commonwealth table tennis championship and denied India its first triumph in three final appearances.

The hero for Nigeria was Merotohun Monday. For someone still not globally ranked, Monday came up with a come-from-behind victories in all three matches he was involved in. From India's point of view, it could not have been worse since it was aiming to win these very matches.

In the second singles, Monday made light of a 8-15 deficit in the decider against Chetan Baboor and went on to win. This result not only doubled Nigeria's lead - after its top- ranked Segun Toriola beat Soumyadeep Roy - but also served as a huge psychological blow to the host.

India had kept its hopes pinned on the doubles but Monday, in the company of Toriola, again upset the calculations. The Nigerian pair came back after losing the first game and that shook the Indian camp even more.

But Monday was not yet through with the Indians. After Baboor downed Toriola to make it 2-3, Monday delivered the knockout punch to Raman and India. Down a game and 16-20 in the second, Monday saved six match points to win 26-24. In the decider, he reduced an already-shattered Raman to a mere spectator.

So, except the first match involving Roy, India blew away chances of winning all the other ties it lost. Raman's resounding victory in the third singles, over 179th-ranked Ayemojuba Sau, was the only commanding performance today.

Earlier, in the women's final, Singapore expectedly downed Malaysia 4-1 to complete a hat-trick of titles in these championships.

Malaysia did have an unexpected start in the final when Yau Linjing upset world No. 13 Jing Jun Hong in three games. But thereafter, a resurgent Singapore left very little to chance. Li Jia Wei, defending champion in singles, restored parity in the second match and Tan Paey Fern put the team ahead following the third singles. Jing Jun Hong and Li Jia Wei then won the doubles with ease before the former put the finishing touches in the fifth `rubber'.

For the match to decide the third place, Singapore men handed out England a 4-1 defeat to add to the humiliation heaped by India on Monday. But it must be remembered that England chose to rest its top-ranked Mathew Syed.

The results:

Team championship:

Men: Final: Nigeria beat India 4-2 (Segun Toriola bt Soumyadeep Roy 21-13, 18-21, 21-13; Merotohun Monday bt Chetan Baboor 13-21, 22-20, 22-20; Ayemojuba Sau lost to S. Raman 18-21, 13-21; Toriola and Monday bt Baboor and Raman 18-21, 21-17, 21-13; Toriola lost to Baboor 21-23, 21-17, 17-21; Monday bt Raman 16- 21, 26-24, 21-9).

For third place: Singapore beat England 4-1 (Zhang Tai Yong bt Gareth Herbert 21-19, 12-21, 21-19; Duan Yong Jun bt Andrew Baggaley 21-16, 21-15; Cal Xiao Li lost to Terry Young 13-21, 21- 17, 13-21; Zhang Tai Yong and Duan Yong Jun bt Terry Young and Alex Perry 22-20, 21-17; Zhang Tai Yong bt Andrew Baggaley 17-21, 23-21, 21-14).

Women: Final: Singapore beat Malaysia 4- 1 (Jing Jun Hong lost to Yau Linjing 14-21, 23-21, 22-24; Li Jia Wei bt Beh Lee Fong 21- 10, 21-7; Tan Paey Fern bt Beh Lee Wei 12- 21, 21-18, 21-14; Jing Jun Hong and Li Jia Wei bt Beh Lee Wei and Yau Linjing 21-6, 22- 20; Jing Jun Hong bt Beh Lee Fong 21-10, 21- 7).

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