PSPB teams book main draw berths in Inter-Institutional TT meet

Coimbatore  :  The men and women teams of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) were the first ones to book their main draw berths on the opening day of the 48th All India Inter-Institutional Championships at the Bharatiar University indoor hall here on Wednesday.

Following their footprints, PSPB girls were on way to making a good progress with two 3-0 wins in the round-robin league. 

But they could be facing the real hurdle in the way of grabbing the crown as the last tussle between them and hosts Airports Authority of India (AAI) will determine who keeps it in the end. AAI, too, posted two wins over Air India and RSPB, also by the same margin.

But with the youth boys' engagements getting over on Thursday, the five-team league has seen just one match each by the teams with PSPB and AAI Boys registering their first wins over their rivals Canara Bank and Indian Audit, respectively. Both won their ties 3-0.

Among the top groups, Petroleum (group A), Railways (group B) and Central Revenue (group D) men teams notched up two wins each to seal their places with clean slates.

Reserve Bank of India in group C suffered a jolt when they were overpowered by Indian Audit 3-2 to push them one rung below. Though the result cannot stop RBI from making the second stage grade, the setback will definitely work against them when the knockout begins.

In group E, AAI took the top perch with 3-1 wins over Canara Bank and Ministry of Communications & IT, while a walkover from Air Force helped them complete their group engagements. 

However, the match between Canara Bank and Ministry of Communications will decide who makes cut and who bows out. Both have two points each through walkovers from Air Force.

In group F, LIC with two triumphs -- they beat Air India 3-1 and Department of Atomic Energy 3-0 -- are already sitting pretty and it should be a formality for them against BSNL in the third match. 

The real contest is for the second spot and that is between Air India and BSNL, who have both beaten BSNL for two points each.

Petroleum women thrashed both Indian Audit and BSNL in group A to register identical 3-0 victories like the RBI in group B who beat both Air India and ESIC, also by the same margins. 

AAI's women team, with 3-0 triumphs over FCI and Ministry of Communications, sealed their main draw place. This was despite having a match in hand against Dena Bank which they will play tomorrow to complete the task.

However, LIC took the top position in group C as they beat both RSPB, the group topper according to draw, and Defence Accounts. The LIC women posted 3-0 wins in both matches.

In other words, the teams will fight for the lone second spot left vacant in each of the groups on Thursday for a clear picture to emerge.