Top paddlers to vie for honours in TT championship

Pune, Oct 20 (UNI) Topflight paddlers from Maharashtra will vie for honours in the inter-district and Maharashtra State Table Tennis championship, which will get underway at the Shiv Chhtarapati Sports City Mahalunge-Balewadi near here from October 26-31. The championship is expected to attarct 18 affiliated district units of the apex body the Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association (MSTTA). It will be held during the first three days followed by open events on the next three days.

Joint organising secretaries Shrikant Anturkar and Sriram Konkar, while briefing reporters here today, said the championship has returned to Pune after a long time. It is significant as it serves as the barometer to select the state teams for the respective national championship. A whooping total prize money of Rs 1.10 lakh is at stake for the six-day championship.

The team championship will be competed in eight groups, namely Cadet boys and girls (under-12), Sub-junior boys and girls (under-14 Junior boys and girls (under-17), besides men and women sections.

Anturkar said the championship would be played on Davis Cup format for Cadet and Sub events (2x2 single plus one doubles). While the other events will be played on Swethling Cup on all five singles basis.

The defending champions in various age groups are as follows: Cadet Boys: Thane 1 Mumbai Suburban Dist 2 Nagpur 3 Cadet Girls: MSD 1, Pune 2, Nagpur 3.

Sub Junior Boys: MSD 1, Pune, 2 Nagpur 3 Sub Junior Girls: Thane 1, MSD 2, Nasik 3 Junior Boys: Air India 1, Thane 2, MSD 3 Junior Girls: Air India 1, Thane 2, MSD 3 Women: Thane 1, MSD 2, Pune 3 Men: MSD 1, Thane 2, Pune 3.

The individual events to commence from October 29 onwards has received enthusiastic response as 575 players will be seen in action, according to PDTTA vice-president Udhay Bhalchandra. Some of the prominent players like Mallika Bhandarkar (Nagpur), Shruja Bhat (Pune), Devaddat Phadnis (Nagpur), Vedika Garg (Thane), Charvi Kawale (MSD), Akash Damle (Thane), Raunak Apte, Divya Deshpande, Ashlesha Bodas, Martand Biniwale, Manasi Bhagwat (all Pune), Salil Shetty (MSD), Omkar Torgalkar (MSD), Bhushan Thakur (Pune), Rohit Choudhari (Jalgaon) will brush shoulders in their respective age grpups Mr Bhalchandra elaborated.

In all, ten tables will used for the championship throughout the day. The finals, which will commence at 1400 hrs on October 31, will be telecast live by the Doordarshan, he said.

A total of nine committees have been formed under the guidance of PDTTA president Rajeev Bodas and vice-president Prakash Tulpule for the smooth conduct of the meet.

The championship has been co-sponsored by Idea Cellular Limited, Venkateshwara Hatcheries, Navcome Indiustries, Sun N Sand Hotel, Bank of Maharashtra, Union Bank, PriceWaterHouse Cooper Limited and Subhash Hastimal Lodha, Konkar pointed out..

UNI