Team Herald
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MAPUSA: Prayank Gaonkar and Sidonia Da Cunha emerged as the champions in the Shree Shirish Divkar Memorial All-Goa U-9 Open and Girls Chess Championship 2025 respectively organised by the Bardez Taluka Chess Association under the aegis of Goa Chess Association, at the Tulsiram Hall, Marod-Mapusa, recently.
The championship witnessed the participation of 82 budding chess talents from across the State - 48 in the Open Category and 34 in the Girls' Category. Six prizes were awarded in each category, in addition to four trophies each in the U-7 category and three trophies each in the Bardez Taluka category.
In the Open Category, Prayank was declared the champion, with Rejmon Fernandes also selected to represent Goa at the National U-9 Open and Girls Chess Championship 2025, scheduled to be held in Gurugram, Haryana, from June 15 to 21.
In the Girls’ Category, Sidonia claimed the top position with Aaradhya Dessai also earning selection for the national event.
Other winners were: Open Category: Sarthak Naik, Siaan Kerkar, Vivaan Kadam, Aarav Nagueshkar. U-7 Boys Category: Evan Telles, Ojas Kamat, Nirbhay Gaude, Naksh Sinari.
Bardez Taluka Boys: Yogeshwar Shenaidesai, Swapnil Ghosh, Aarush Parulekar. Girls Category: Shivanya Rao, Vania Vaibhav Dukle, Shreesha Ghadi, Drisha Ghonge.
U-7 Girls Category: Yajwari Shetye, Kavyshree Bhosle, Phacelia Barreto, Jigyasa Gawas
Bardez Taluka Girls: Swara Morajkar, Swasti Morajkar and Sharvi Anvekar. The tournament was conducted by Chief Arbiter Arvind Mhamal, assisted by arbiters Sudhakar Patgar, Sanskruti Naroji and Nilesh Dhargalkar, alongside the office bearers of the Bardez Taluka Chess Association.
The event was inaugurated by Adv Siddhi Parodkar, president of Libra Socio Legal Trust.
At the closing ceremony, the Goa Chess Association President Mahesh Candolkar was the chief guest, while guest of honour was Councillor Sudhir Kandolkar.
They distributed prizes in the presence of Arvind Mhamal, Adv Tukaram Shetye, Satyawan Harmalkar, Sachin Arolkar, Dr Sushant Dhulapkar and others. The event concluded with a vote of thanks proposed by Adv Gautami Shetye.