PANJIM: The 2nd Dr. Filipe Pinto Memorial All Goa Major Ranking Table Tennis Tournament will be held from September 16 to 23, at Clube Vasco da Gama, here. 

Speaking at a press conference, Ex-CCP Deputy Mayor Kabir Pinto Makhija said, “Last year I took the initiative to organise a table tennis tournament in memory of my maternal grandfather Dr. Filipe Armindo Pinto (1903-1967), whose 50th death anniversary was observed on September 7, 2017.” 

Dr Pinto was an educationist, a linguist, a lover of sports and a philanthropist. He served as the last Reitor of Liceu Nacional Afonso de Albuquerque in Goa under the Portuguese regime and was the first Principal of the Lyceum (Government Higher Secondary School) after the Liberation of Goa. Dr Filipe Pinto was the first Director of Education after Liberation (9th May 1962- 23rd August 1964).

“I had associated with Clube Vasco da Gama, one of the oldest clubs in Panjim to organise the 1st Dr. Filipe Pinto Memorial All Goa Major Ranking Table Tennis Tournament in 2017. The tournament received a Major Ranking from the Goa Table Tennis Association and is an annual event in the Goa table tennis calendar,” added Makhija.

The inaugural edition of the tournament which was held last year received a tremendous response with over 200 entries. 

Entries to the tournament are invited in the following categories:  Cadet girls & cadet boys, sub-junior girls & sub-junior boys, junior girls & junior boys and women’s singles & men’s singles.

The veterans category will be a new addition to this year’s edition.

The entries should be submitted to Vishnu Kolwalkar  or at the Clube Vasco da Gama office. The last date for accepting entries will be September 14 till 6.00 p.m. The draws will be held on September 15, at the club premises, at 4.00 p.m.