Team Herald
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FATORDA: Vedant Wagle and Gianna George announced their arrival on Goa’s competitive table tennis scene with stunning maiden title wins at the 37th V M Salgaocar Major Ranking Table Tennis Tournament held at the Multipurpose Stadium, Fatorda, on Thursday.
Organised by the Cortalim Gymkhana under the aegis of Goa Table Tennis Association, the tournament witnessed a thrilling finale. Vedant clinched the U-13 boys title with a commanding 3-0 win (11-8, 11-7, 11-3) over a fighting Yuvaan Sanke, who too impressed everyone with his maiden finals appearance this season.
In the U-13 girls final, Gianna George displayed nerves of steel to edge past Sachi Dessai 3-0 (11-5, 11-7, 12-10), marking a breakthrough moment for her in the circuit.
In the U-15 boys category, Dhruva Kamat, seeded 2, bounced back to top form defeating Vedant Wagle 3-0 (11-6, 11-6, 11-8) in a clinical display of control and experience.
In the girls U-15 final, Goa’s top paddler Ishita Colaso proved too strong for Gianna George, winning 3-0 (11-1, 11-5, 11-3).
Meanwhile, in the U-11 categories, Isaan Colaso outplayed Ashank Dalvi 3-0 (11-4, 11-5, 11-2) to take the boys crown, and Anaya Shukla outsmarted Shaurya Dessai 3-0 (11-5, 11-4, 11-9) to clinch the girls title.