PANJIM: Indian Paddlers showed their supremacy in both men and women individual events, sweeping all but one medal, in the Forza International Veteran Cup Table Tennis Championship, organised by Goa Table Tennis Association in collaboration with Forza Sports Management and the Sports Authority of Goa, at Dr S P Mukherjee stadium, Taleigao, on Wednesday.
The championship featured participation from countries like Russia, Nepal, Maldives and Sri Lanka apart from India.
Former India International player Sunil Babras exhibited his class in the Men’s 50+ category registering a comfortable 3-0 win while Vikas Mahajan who had lost the Veterans Nationals to R. Rajesh reversed the result by edging out the same opponent 3-2 in an exciting Men’s 40+ match that went the whole distance.
Sri Lanka’s Gerald Lucas emerged runners-up in Men’s 70+. Meenu Baska (40+), Montu Murmur (50+) and Mangal Saraf (60+) emerged winners in Women’s singles. Goa’s best performance came through its stalwarts Noel Noronha and Ajit Ghantker who put up stiff fight in their respective individual matches.
While Noel lost 1-3 to Vikas Mahajan in Men’s 40+ pre-quarters, Ajit Ghantker gave a scare to number 2 seeded player Vivek Alavni losing 1-3 in the 50+ category in the main draw.
VM Prabhudesai, Executive Director, the Sports Authority of Goa, Goa Table Tennis Association officials Vero Nunes, Vishnu Kolwalkar, Subhash Pandit and Suresh Bhangui, Tournament promoter Jayant Kulkarni from Forza Sports Management, Veterans TT Association officials Chaitanya Tarcar and Deepak Gopani were among those who graced the prize distribution occasion.
