Para table tennis ranking c'ship showcases spirit of inclusivity

This was the second consecutive year YMCA integrated the Para Championship with the general category, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity. Alvito D’Silva, whose efforts have been pivotal in encouraging participation, was praised for his support of para athletes and for helping elevate the state-level ranking championship.

Wheelchair category player, runner-up, and para category coordinator Vishant Nagvekar delivered an inspiring message on the need for broader inclusion in sports. He urged organisers to include para categories to help foster para sports in Goa.

“Para athletes have long faced challenges due to a lack of awareness and attitudinal and infrastructure barriers, which have hindered talented Para players from achieving success on both national and international platforms,” he noted.

Nagvekar also expressed gratitude towards YMCA for including the para category, the Disability Alliance for Inclusive Goa for providing wheelchair support, and the Sports Authority of Goa and its staff for their full cooperation in hosting the championship. He emphasised that such inclusion should continue in every tournament.

The championship witnessed notable performances. In the para standing category, the winner was Chetan Salgaonkar and the runner-up was Gopal Naik. In the wheelchair category, Lloyd Fernandes emerged as the winner and Vishant Nagvekar as the runner-up. Strong performances were also seen from Rayansh Sawant, Ritesh Vaigankar, Jonathan, Mukesh Jatekar, and Siddesh Cuncolikar in the standing category, and Stany Dsouza, Patrick Dsouza, Dharmesh Kuri, Durgadas Naik, Santosh Aigal, Gauresh Marathe, Yalguresh Gaudar, Sadaf Fatima, and Prasad Soni in the wheelchair category.