UTT | Harmeet supports wife Krittwika to the hilt after heartbreaking loss

Krittwika Sinha Roy.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Krittwika Sinha Roy had to win only one of the three games against Yashaswini Ghorpade to make it a hat-trick of Ultimate Table Tennis final appearance for Dempo Goa Challengers. After losing the first two games, she trailed 10-6 in the third.

Krittwika then staged a superb turnaround, supported by a couple of lucky net-calls, she saved four match-points and enforced the golden point. But when she hit a backhand top-spin long, it resulted in agony and ecstasy — the two siblings in a sporting arena — being experienced at the EKA Arena on Saturday night.

Harmeet Desai.
| Photo Credit:
VIJAY SONEJI

While Yashaswini was surrounded by her U Mumba TT teammates and management for completing a thrilling comeback, Krittwika was inconsolable — with all her teammates trying to calm her down. It was at this very moment that Harmeet Desai had to switch from the role of Goa Challengers’ captain into a caring husband to wipe her tears.

Minutes later, though, Harmeet, the pro, was on display. “She is bound to feel it but I just had to remind her that had it not been for her contribution, we would have possibly not been in the semifinals. Despite not playing all the matches, she won us six crucial points, including the win over Fan Siqi,” Harmeet said.

Krittwika’s 0-3 loss in the fifth and final rubber was the exact reversal of the 3-0 scoreline that Harmeet started the semifinal with, by rolling over Frenchman Lilian Bardet.

The loss also ended Goa Challengers’ quest of registering a hat-trick of UTT titles. But Harmeet reminded everyone that he and his teammates had every reason to hold their head high. “I am extremely proud of the way we have fought and conquered various hurdles in UTT 2025,” Harmeet said.

“After the auction, many would have thought ours wasn’t the best team on paper. I am glad that we managed to prove everyone wrong and came within a point of being in another final. It wasn’t to be, but we will come back stronger next year.”