RAIA: The Goa GSB Sports and Charitable Trust felicitated five upcoming young Goan sportspersons Chandan Caro, Pradnya Caro, Vidhi Sachin Bhandare, Anura Prabhu Desai and Yug Dalvi for their achievements in various disciplines.
Speaking on the occasion, Kapil Sinai Borkar, trustee, Goa GSB Sports and Charitable Trust said, “Today, we celebrate not just their victories on the field, but their dedication, resilience, and the a they embody. These young athletes are not just the future of sports but are the future leaders of our community. We will continue to encourage and promote athletes from the State.”
Siblings Chandan and Pradnya have excelled in the table tennis across various age group completions.
In the State, 11-year-old Chandan has been ranked in the U-13 cadets boys, U-15 sub-junior boys. His is third in U-17 junior boys, fourth in U-19 boys and sixth in the men’s senior category.
On the other hand, his sister, 13-year-old Pradnya is ranked first in U-15 sub-junior girls, first in U-17 junior girls, third in U-19 girls and fourth in women’s senior category. She ranked 30 in the U-13 category last year.
Vidhi Sachin Bhandare, a Class VIII student of Dr K B Hedgewar High School, Cujira-Bambolim, has been a star performer in cricket. Last year, she represented Goa and captained the U-15 girls in the BCCI tournament held at Himachal Pradesh. Presently, she is undergoing training in Palghar to improve her all-round performance.
Meanwhile, Anura has been an international badminton star from Goa. She has represented India in many international tournaments that include the Asia Badminton Championships and the Uber Cup in women’s singles. She has also won the silver medal at the Mauritius International Series in 2017, which was Goa’s first international medal in badminton.
She has also won the bronze medal in the Poland International Series in September 2019. She has won a total of 84 medals in national tournaments in various categories, with a rich haul of 14 gold medals.
She was also ranked India No.1 in the women’s singles for a year from December 2017 to November 2018. She was also ranked India No. 1 in women’s singles and doubles simultaneously which is a rare feat. She has also played for Premier Badminton League for Mumbai Rockets.
Dalvi, 15, made swimming his prime sport and has won over 50 medals in Goa and other championships held in the State.
He represented Goa at the National Games 2022 at Rajkot, Gujarat, and also at National School Games 2022 and 2023 held at New Delhi in swimming as well as the 37th National Games 2023 in Goa.
He made Goa proud by winning two bronze medals in Modern Pentathlon (Biathle event), a new Olympic sport which is a combination of running, swimming and running at a stretch.
Dalvi has represented India at an international meet at Kathmandu, Nepal, recently and came in 5th in a different event of Modern Pentathlon called ‘Laser Run’, which is a combination of running, shooting and running at a stretch.
He has also represented his school in the State level badminton championships.
