Soma regains title

Sonom Sultana Soma regained her title as the champion in women's singles of National Table Tennis Championship after four years as she handed a straight sets (4-0) defeat to Moumita Alam Rumi at the Shaheed Tajuddin Ahmed Indoor Gymnasium yesterday.

Soma of Bangladesh Ansar, who came into the final with a 4-2 win over defending champion Rahima Khatun in semifinals, thrashed the three-time champion Rumi of Bangladesh Army with an 11-2, 11-8, 15-13, 11-6 points defeat. The victory saw her win the title she had last won during the 2013 Bangladesh Games, which is also considered as national championship.

It was the fifth overall national title and third in the current season for Soma who returned to the game after a three-year gap following the birth of her second son. However, she worked hard to get back to top form and took part in the national championship after participating in a ranking tournament and the Federation Cup, clinching both titles on the way.

“I can't express my feelings in words because playing in the national after a three-year gap was a big challenge. I want to thank to my husband [former national table tennis player Mohammad Ali, who is also her coach], brother-in-law and sister-in-law who supported me tremendously,” said Soma, who is playing in top flight for more than two decades.

Soma had earlier won the women's doubles title with Sadia Rahman Mou. She dedicated her victory to federation's former joint secretary Somir Uddin, who passed away recently.