the goan I network
PANAJI
Miramar Sports Club’s third all-India invitational table tennis tournament is expected to be a bigger and better affair this time as multiple-time gold medallist and current India number five Anukram Jain and former India sub-junior number two Shubhankar Renvavikar among others are set to entertain the TT lovers in the State with a dazzling display at Indoor Stadium, Campal from April 24-29.
The other highlights of this year’s championship are more categories and bigger prizes on offer. The championship will have prizes worth Rs 1,00,000 on offer while the total budget is Rs 2.5 lakhs. Apart from Anukram and Shubhankar, big names like Wesley Do Rosario, Goa junior and men number one; Rakshit Barigdad, Karnataka youth and men’s number one; Akash Pal, Bengal junior number one; Diljeet Velingkar, former Goa State champion; Noel Noronha, former Goa State champion; Ajit Ghatker, former Goa State champion among others will be in action at the championship.
The championship includes six different categories - men’s team, men’s singles, men’s doubles, U-15 team, U-15 singles and ladies singles. Matches will begin at 10 am in the mornings (Sat & Sun) and 3:30 pm in the evenings.
Speaking on the occasion, Miramar Sports Club president Joel Andrade said, “It brings us great delight and joy to be holding the third edition of the ‘MSC Cup’ this year with good quality players coming and showcasing their talent. This annual tournament is an opportunity for the State to watch some of the best players in the country in action. I strongly believe that such kinds of tournaments will encourage the younger generation to take up the sport and think about it as a career. We are very pleased to introduce the men’s doubles category which isn’t organised in Goa and the women’s singles category for this year’s edition. We also have raised the prize purse to Rs 1,00,000 this year and we can expect some some stiff competition from the best in the business.”
While the annual event has been conducted at open/invitational level till now, the future could see it taken to another level. “Everyone on the panel with me is very passionate about the sport and are driven to make this tournament one of the leading events in the country. Hopefully, in a couple of years from now we can have an auction-based championship,” added Andrade.
Gaurish Dhond, vice-president of Goa Table Tennis Association (GTTA), expressed the association’s support to the championship. “It’s a proud occasion that Miramar Sports Club is organising this championship for the third year in succession. When there is a healthy competition, it benefits the Goan players and the standard of the game also goes up. Otherwise, we see the same faces participating in the tournaments and when new players come we know where our game lies and where we can improve. All good wishes from GTTA to Miramar Sports Club’s young organising team,” said Dhond in his address.
The press conference was also attended by Noel Noronha, former State champion; Wesley Do Rosario, Goa’s current top ranked player in junior boys and men’s; Sandeep Heble, tournament advisor; Myron Pereira, treasurer of Miramar Sports Club, and Noel Estibeiro, vice-president, Miramar Sports Club. Noel Estibeiro, vice-president, Miramar Sports Club, proposed a vote of thanks.
