Panaji
BPS Sports Club, having in their fold India number two Junior ranked player Anukram Jain, Goa’s numero uno Wesley Do Rosario, Tejas Shevde and Karnataka’s top ranked player Rakshith Bargidad exhibited fine table tennis to edge past Verekers 3-1 to hoist the glittering Men’s Team championship trophy in the 3rd edition of the Table Tennis Invitational Championship held at Indoor stadium, Campal, Panaji. Rakshith Bargidad gave his team a 1-0 lead with a facile 3-0 (11-6, 11-8, 11-7) win over Goa’s former state champion Diljeet Velingker. Akash Pal, who is West Bengal number one Junior player, however pulled one back for Verekers with an upset 3-1 win over Anukram Jain (BPS). He won 11-9, 12-10, 7-11, 11-8 to level the scores. In the doubles match that followed Wesley / Anukram who had lost twice before in this tournament to Nagesh Vereker / Akash Pal extracted sweet revenge when it mattered by winning the crunch doubles tie 3-1 (11-9, 8-11, 12-10, 11-7) give their team a slender 2-1 lead. In a duel between two of Goa’s top players which came up next, Wesley Do Rosario then sealed victory for BPS with a clinical win over Diljeet Velingker. Wesley’s topspins and whipping backhands were too much for Diljeet to handle as he won the match 3-1 (11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 13-11) to seal the finals 3-1 in favour of BPS Sports Club.
The individual Men’s singles finals featuring two top India players Anukram Jain and Akash Pal was a cracker of a contest. It was an edge-of-the-seat thriller which kept fluctuating from one end to another. Both the players exhibited a fine array of shots, control and composure to brighten up the finals for the spectators. In the end, it was Akukram Jain who was the winner with a scintillating 4-3 (10-12, 11-13, 11-8, 11-9, 11-9, 8-11, 11-9) win over Akash Pal.
Gaurish Dhond, Vice President, Goa TT Association, Miramar Sports Club officials Joel Andrade (President), Myron Pereira (Treasurer) and Noel Estibeiro (Vice President), Tournament advisor Sandeep Heble and Special guests Daniel Pinto, Sudin Vereker, A. Baig and Diana Braganza graced the prize distribution.
