Dr. Reena Sharma Bhagat from Mumbai won 5 Gold medals in Table Tennis and One Gold in Carrom at the IMA- MS Mahasports jointly organised by Indian Medical Association, Maharashtra & Indian Medical Association, Nanded. This three day tournament, which concluded in Nanded today, had 100 participants in Carrom and 50 participants in Table Tennis.
Dr. Reena Bhagat from Mumbai receives her Trophy at the IMA_ MS Mahasports meet in Nanded
Dr. Reena won Women’s Singles final in below 45 age group, beating Dr. Gayatri Toshniwal 3-0 and then also went on to bag another Gold beating Dr. Maya Wankhede in Women’s 45+ singles. Thereafter, partnering Dr. Maya Wankhede in Below 45 group she bagged her 3rd Gold beating Dr, Gayatri and Dr, Madhuri Jadhav 3-0. Her 4th Gold came from Women’s 45+ group, when partnering Dr. Maya the pair beat Dr. Shailaja and Dr. Vishakha 3-0. Dr.Reena’s 5th Gold was in 45+ Mixed doubles partnering Dr. Akshay Marawar, when the pair beat Dr.Madhuri and Dr.Rizwan 3-0.
Thereafter, swiching over to the game of Carrom, Dr.Reena bagged her sixth Gold medal in Women’s Singles beating Dr. Manisha Nandes 25-2. In Women’s Carrom doubles she however settled for a Bronze partnering Dr. Maya. All in all, it was a great show by the Mumbai doctor, who finds time from her busy schedule to play at MCF Club, Borivali, Mumbai.
Om Lotlikar, one of the finest Para TT Players from India died yesterday due to heart failure. He was 31. According to reliaable sources, Om was actually suffering from Dengue. When he had further complications after vomiting, he was admitted to nearby hospital, where he breathed his last.
Para TT PlayerOm Lotlikar
A finest Para TT player that he was, Om was two times Nationl Para TT Champiuon and had represented India at the Para Asian Games in 2014 and Para Asian Championship in 2017. He never restricted himself to Para Games, but played in the open TT tournaments at the state level, with a good show. He represented P.J. Hindu Gymkhana team in the first division TT league; as he was offered sports membership there. Earlier , he played in different clubs like YMCA and MLWB.
Om had lost his one hand in an unfortunate accident , when he was just 10 years old. But, with the encouragement received from his parents and especially his mother, Om focussed his attention on the game of table tennis and made good progress.
Om was finding it difficult to manage expenses of the game of table tennis at competitive level, when he graduated and was pursuing Law. At that time, his father worked for a courier company and mother served tiffin services from their house in Girgaon. But, Om was determined. With Collective help from well wishers, he managed his outside tournament expenses.
Renu Menon wife of Late Vilas Menon, was the first to recognise his talent and offered him financial help through Vilas Menon Memorial Trust. Soon, few well wishers from TT department of P.J. Hindu Gymkhana sponsored his Para Asian tournament and this boosted the morale of Om. He was also offered job by State Government at Thane. Thanks to Nitin Dolas TT player from Mantralaya for pursuing his recruitment process. Later, he joined Postal Department.
It is very sad to hear about his shocking end. On social media, Many TT lovers have expressed shock on his untimely death and have offered condolences to his family members.
Like the game of Cricket, not many other games offer good returns and therefore many youngsters from middle and lower middle income group families, avoid playing these games, which are played at international level. There is no enough support coming from the state and national federations of many such sports to deserving youngsters, whose family members cannot afford to spend for their children, towards the cost of travel and hotel stay arrangements during the state and zonal championships of these sports.
Sagar Kasture
Now, take for example 19 year old Sagar Kasture, who lives in a chawl at Nehru nagar, Vile Parle, Mumbai. His father drives autorickshaw for his daily earnings, to support his family. Since his childhood Sagar has been passionate about the game of table tennis. He was first spotted by Jayesh Lakhani from Juhu, who asked him to join his academy JLTTA and offered free training. Thereafter, two renowned TT trainers Raju Sawant and Nilesh Pandirkar also offered free training to Sagar at their traning academy.
However, due to poor financial condition, he was not able to take part in all the Zonal, National and international level tournaments, till the time he was under 18 years of age and while playing in Junior’s section. Now, Sagar has turned 19 and due to cancellation of Youth Singles (U-21 category) at the state and national level TT, he has to play in the Men’s category. Neverthless, he still finds his ranking in this category and is all prepared to participate in all state ranking and national ranking TT tournaments. Till now, Sagar has performed extremely well at the state level tournaments, for the past seven years and his only wish is to represent India in international TT tournaments and make all his supporters proud of him.
‘If there is a will, there is a way’. His PT teacher Ms. Sakshi Satish Kamtekar from his earlier Municipal School in Vile Parle, where he did his schooling; has been approaching well wishers, to sponsor Sagar for such outstation tournaments. During the recently concluded MCF 3 star TT tournament, she was introduced by her family friend Girish Wagle – a coach at MCF, to few senior players playing in the 60+ category. After hearing about Sagar’s plight, they came forward to help this youngster. When they heard that Sagar was going to kangra at Himachal Pradesh for Zonal All India TT tourney, two of them sponsored his air ticket expenses. Other senior player presented him with new branded shoes and also offered his own prize money won in two Masters’ tournament to him, to meet the partial cost of the hotel expenses, which Sagar will be sharing with four other friends from Mumbai during this tournament.
If this was not enough, another good news he heard from a senior player and well wisher- former TT Champ Shalmalee Gosar( whom he calls Shalmalee tai) , at the Khar Gymkhana 3 Star Ranking tournament. Shalmalee Gosar along with nine other well wishers who are business entrepreneurs from Mulund, namely Rajendra Dulla, Amit Patani, Prem Churla, Rajeev Parekh, Pooja Gada, Shraddha Thale, Vikram Shah, Jay Kotecha and Nipam Bhatt; will be offering Sagar Rs. 10,000/- per month, to meet his TT expenses. This is a fine gesture and also a very good news for Sagar. Sagar also receives help from Tibhar company in the form of Ply and rubbers. He uses Tibhar Evolution K3(F) Tibhar Evolution MX-P50 rubbers and Tibhar STRATUSCarbon ply. For his physical fitness and exercises, he goes to Positive Physiotherapy,Vile Parle East, where Dr. Yuvraj Singh has offered him special concession in fees.
But, Sagar is seriously looking for a Job or scholarship from big corporate houses or NGO’s. “I would prefer a job, rather than depending upon help from individual sponsors. I am really thankful to all those who came forward to help me during the period my struggle. Mr. Praful Shah donated Rs. 1 Lakh to me. Arjun Patra Sir helped me a lot with training and equipments during Corona pandemic lockdown period. Salian Brothers Kiran and Naveen, donated Rs. 25,000/- in memory of their late father. Bhavesh Shah helped me with financial assistance for many tournaments. Yogesh Desai also donated Rs. 5,000/- for one tournament. Few other senior players who are presently helping me, don’t want their names to be disclosed. I am really grateful to them. They are real inspiration for me.”
Sagar, who is studying in the first year of Bachelor of Arts in English Literature at ADAMAS University, Kolkatta; through online course, is certainly a bright prospect, if he takes part in all state ranking , zonal, national and international TT tournaments. He plays with penholder grip, which makes his game more unique during rallies. But, he certainly needs guidance from a Chinese coach on his services with penholder grip. Hope he finds a suitable sponsor for the same in near future. Wishing him all the best for the forthcoming Zonal TT tournament in Himachal Prdesh and other major tournaments to follow. Those who are really keen on offering him job or offer him sports scholarship, can contact him on his mobile number 7208690081 Or write to him on his e mail id’s : sagarkasture05@gmail.com or sagarkasture13125@gmail.com
Varsha Chulani Majmudar former National Table Tennis and National Snooker champion has created a new record. At 50+ she has turned Professional Pickleball player at the international level. Varsha who alongwith her husband Nishit Majmudar ( also a former TT player) migrated to Singapore many years ago with their job assignments. Today, Nishit plays Snooker, while Varsha is serious about her second innings in sports with Pickleball.
Varsha in action with her new sport Pickleball
Varsha has shown good progress with Pickleball. In the 50+ Masters’ Women’s doubles at the World and Asian championship, she has won Gold medal. She also won the New York Open and Texas Open last year. Won another tournament is USA in 2022 and played finals of US National Championship. Varsha and her partner Pini are the best in 50+ Women’s doubles, in Asia.
Right now, her husband Nishit is here in Mumbai to participate in Western India Snooker Championshipat at Khar Gymkhana. Varsha could not make it this time, as she was busy playing Pickleball tournament. But, we hope to see her soon, when Khar Gymkhana will be felicitating all the legends who made their Gymkhana proud with their performance at the national & international level.
At present, there is only one name in discussion among TT lovers in India and that is Prasunna Parekh. She raised India’s flag high at the biggest Table Tennis event which concluded in Rome, Italy recently. With the participation of 6100 players in the age group of 40 to 99 years from 110 countries in the world, this was perhaps the biggest table tennis event organised by International Table Tennis Federation ( ITTF).
Prasunna Parekh
India’s Prasunna Parekh who played in the 45+ age group main draw, went on to bag three medals in this tournament. Prasunna won her Gold medal in Women’s doubles, partnering Minu Basak, a bronze partnering K. Srvatsa in Mixed doubles and another Bronze in Women’s singles.
Prasunna sharing the happy moment with her husband
Magzmumbai spoke to Prasunna, after her return to India, to congratulate on her grand success. Speaking about her success, she said, “ Yes, winning three medals was a big achievement, as there was tough competition from players of other countries. But, my hard work paid the dividends.”
Prasunna ( 2nd from Left) with Siddhi Patel, khwaish Lotia 4) Fiza pawar, Bhavina Patel (Olympic medalist Tokyo silver medal) , Pratha Pawar (international medalist) , Mahi Patel and Lalan Doshi ( coach and brother of Prasunna).
Prasunna, a former State player of Gujarat started playing Table Tennis at a young age. She had taken a break after after marriage; but after becoming eligible for Masters’ event, she made her comeback in 2016 with the support received from her husband and family members and went on to become a National Champion in 2018. Prasunna also won 2 Silver medals at the last World Masters’ TT Championship at Oman.
An employee of Postal Department in Gujarat, Prasunna who is a fearless and consistent attacking player, received good support from her department for her long practice sessions, which comprised of almost 4 hours a day for the past few months. After winning 3 Gold medals at Commonwealth Masters’ TT Championship in Hyderabad last year, she was determined to win medals at this World Masters’ TT Championship. And she achieved what she could, giving her best. Let’s hope that her achievement receives attention of Sports Ministry and Indin Masters get due recognition from Government of India for their efforts.
Om Mukta Manish Todankar 4th standard student of Kendriya Vidyalaya, Powai IIT Mumbai put up a good show at the Aerobics and Hip Hop National Championship, which concluded on 26th May 2024 at the John Milton Public School, Agra, U.P. The competition was organised by Uttar Pradesh Aerobics Sports & Fitness Association.
Om was part of the juniors team of Maharashtra, which won the Championship trophy in his age group. Besides team event, Om also won three medals; i.e. Silver medal in Trio National Aerobics Championship, Silver Medal in Petite National Aerobics Championship and Bronze medal in the individual National Aerobics Championship. Om is trained by Mr. Shankar Kolte and Ms. Nandini Kolte.
Actor Kabbir has joined forces with leading director Anees Bazmee in a thrilling collaboration for the upcoming Bollywood film, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’. The much-anticipated third installment of the hit horror franchise, is poised to captivate audiences with its riveting storyline and stellar cast.
Kabbir, known for his versatility and captivating performances, brings his unique flair to the film, promising an unforgettable experience. He has done lots of theater performance to boost his acting skills and had learnt acting from an NSD teacher. Collaborating with director Anees Bazmee, celebrated for his cinematic brilliance, the duo has created this film that promises to redefine the horror genre.
In ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ , actor Kartik Aaryan takes the lead role, supported by the talented Triptii Dimri, whose previous work has garnered widespread acclaim. Alongside them, the film features the powerhouse performances of esteemed actresses Vidya Balan and Madhuri Dixit, adding depth and richness to the ensemble cast.
Speaking about this film, Actor Kabbir, says, “Working on Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3 has been an exhilarating journey. We have put our heart and soul into creating a film that will not only entertain but also leave a lasting impact on the audience. It’s a wonderful experience working with Kartik and Anees sir in Kolkata.”
Produced by T-Series and Cine1 Studios, ‘Bhool Bhulaiyaa 3’ is slated for release later this year.
Jwala Singh, founder Mumbai Cricket Club and Sreekar Mothukuri, a passionate cricket enthusiast, joined hands and have together written a book ‘Pathway to Cricketing Excellence and Beyond’. This book which discovers the secrets of success beyond talent and technique was released by renowned cricket legends, former Indian captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar, former Sri Lankan speedster Chaminda Vaas and former Indian opening batsman Wasim Jaffer at the Mumbai Police Gymkhana on Monday.
(From left to right) – former Mumbai Ranji Trophy cricketer Omkar Khanvilkar, former Indian cricketer Wasim Jaffer, Sri Lankan cricket legend Chaminda Vaas, former Indian cricket captain and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar, co-authors Jwala Singh, founder Mumbai Cricket Club and Sreekar Mothukuri at the launch of the book ‘Pathway To Cricketing Excellence And Beyond’ at the Mumbai Police Gymkhana on Monday
The book goes beyond being a mere training manual. It is a comprehensive exploration of the journey towards cricketing success. The book discusses the crucial qualities and attributes needed by young cricketers, coaches, and parents. It includes inspirational stories from champions, insights into the professional cricket pathway, and the significance of engaging in multiple sports.
The book also highlights the balance between sports and academics, the life lessons sports can offer, the various career opportunities within the sports field, and how sports can serve as a positive developmental tool for children. This unique approach positions the book as an invaluable resource for aspiring players, coaches, and sports-oriented families.
“I am glad that Jwala and Sreekar have together published this book. I firmly believe that this work of Jawla and Sreekar will help players and coaches learn a lot after reading this book,” Vengsarkar said at the launch.
The Sri Lankan great said, “Becoming a cricketer is not just about playing a sport, it’s a journey filled with challenges and triumphs. This book delves deep into the heart of cricketing excellence, highlighting the crucial roles parents and coaches play in nurturing talent. I am confident that this book will inspire and guide generations of cricketers to come”.
Former Mumbai cricketer Alpesh Ramjani, 29, who now plies his trade in Uganda and is a member of African national team, received a significant boost in the form of support and sponsorship from Gretex Corporate Services Limited, a renowned Merchant Banking company.
Gretex Corporate Services has taken the former Kandivali resident under its wings as the Brand Ambassador of their company and signed an MOU with the talented cricketer, who will represent Uganda in the upcoming T20 World Cup 2024.
The official signing ceremony for Gretex Corporate’s sponsorship and partnership management was held at the MCA’s P.D. Hall in Mumbai on Thursday afternoon.
Mr. Alok Harlalka, Managing Director of Gretex Group expressed his pride in sponsoring the talented cricketer. “It is a significant and exciting moment for the company to support promising athletes like Alpesh Ramjani and provide them with a platform to shine on the global stage. He highlighted Ramjani’s determination and excellence, emphasizing the company’s commitment to nurturing talent and promoting sportsmanship,” Harlalka informed media persons at a press conference.
“As sponsors of Alpesh Ramjani for the T20 World Cup, Gretex Group is confident in his abilities to make a positive impact on the field and wishes him the best in the tournament. The company is honoured to support Ramjani as he competes at the international level, aiming to inspire the next generation of cricketers through showcasing determination, skill, and teamwork”.
Alpesh Ramjani stated, “Gretex and I resonated upon our stories of triumph and disaster and treating them the same.” In reference to this new collaboration, he pointed out, “It’s a historic day, and I think that underscores both Gretex’s resolve to promote sporting talent through their spectacular programs and my love for the game.”
Alpesh Ramjani’s Profile: Born In Kandivali, Mumbai on 24th September, 1994.
Alpesh Ramjani’s journey is truly inspiring. From his early days in Mumbai to becoming a key player in the Ugandan National Cricket Team, his dedication and talent shine through. Despite facing personal challenges, such as the loss of his father, he has remained focused on his cricketing career and has achieved remarkable success.
Ramjani’s performance on the field, whether with the ball or bat, has been exceptional. His contributions were crucial in Uganda’s qualification for the T20I World Cup, showcasing his skills as a left-arm orthodox spinner and a capable batsman. Winning the ‘Best Bowler’ award at the African Games further underscores his prowess and impact on the team.
Beyond his individual achievements, Ramjani’s resilience and determination serve as an inspiration to his teammates and fans. His ability to stay composed and deliver under pressure reflects true sportsmanship and a deep commitment to the game.
As Uganda prepares for the T20I World Cup, Ramjani’s presence will undoubtedly be a driving force for the team. His journey from Mumbai to international cricket success is a testament to his talent, hard work, and the support of those around him.
About Our Company:
Gretex Corporate Services Limited is pleased to announce that it has been granted the distinguished honor of being a Category I Merchant Banker by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI), which further validates our steadfast dedication to industry leadership and compliance with regulations. With the help of our founder Mr. Alok Harlalka’s wise guidance, we have established ourselves as a prominent brand in the merchant banking industry, supported by a history of unmatched vision and experience.
Gretex Corporate Services Limited is an outstanding example of excellence in providing outstanding results for our valued clients and investors, as seen by our 44 successful IPO listings, impressive average profits, INR 674.14 Cr in funds raised, and an astounding INR 5,252.84 Cr market cap.
With over 15 years of experience, our team of seasoned professionals includes Chartered Accountants, Company Secretaries, and Chartered Financial Analysts.
The Nari First Jewel of India Beauty Contest concluded with an extraordinary celebration of diversity and empowerment aboard the luxurious Cordella Cruise. Hosted by Nari First’s founder, Aikta Sharma, and co-founder Mr. Anshu Budhraja, the event marked a historic milestone in redefining beauty standards.
Gathering 130 participants from varied backgrounds, the revolutionary contest shattered conventional norms by embracing individuals of all ages, heights, and weights. Divided into Princess and Empresses categories, the contest epitomized talent, grace, and inclusivity. Under the guidance of Lieutenant Dr. Rita Gangwani, a renowned personality transformation expert and international pageant coach, participants underwent transformative training, setting the stage for an unforgettable event.
Sandeep Sopankar, the choreography maestro, served as the Show Director, adding grandeur to the occasion. Indian pop sensation Shibani Kashyap mesmerized the audience with a captivating live performance and joined the esteemed jury, including industry luminaries like Ms. Yashena, director of Women of Wonders, and Mrs. Universe Mauritius, who specially flew in for the event.
Anchor Randeep kept the audience entertained, while Divesh from Forte Live Dance Studio conducted energizing Zumba sessions for the participants. The Mastery School of Beauty provided exquisite makeup and hairstyling for all contestants, enhancing their natural beauty. The competition featured rounds like National Brides, Talent, and Beachwear, with 30 contestants advancing to the top 10 based on various criteria. Ultimately, the winners emerged, with Eesha Agrawal claiming the Jewel of India title in the Empresses category and Dr. Rupinder Kaur Khera crowned the Jewel of India in the Princess category. Trophy were presented by gorgious Bollywood Actress Malaika Arora.
Generous sponsors such as Tacayurveda Co and Niajaa Organic Cosmetics contributed gift vouchers and prizes worth one lakh to the winners, along with exclusive trips to Bali and Goa. Additionally, all participants received gift vouchers from the sponsors.
The Nari First Jewel of India Beauty Contest stands as a testament to the power of diversity, inclusivity, and empowerment, setting a new standard in beauty pageantry
