Cool and composed Dr.Nitin Toshniwal, was the star of his team Solapur’s win over well balanced Jain Sports A, in the finals of the team championship event of Maharashtra State ranking Veterans’ Table Tennis championship, which concluded at Khar Gymkhana on Sunday evening. Dr.Nitin won both his singles, first beating Upendra Muley 3-1 and then scoring a victory 3-1 over former international Sunil Babras. Though Nitin and his partner Manish lost the crucial doubles match, Manish won the deciding 5th match beating Upendra Muley. It was a well contested team final.
Dr.Nitin Toshniwal ( 2nd from Left) and his partner Manish Rawat( Ext Right) receives the Team Championship Trophy for his team Solapur from chief guest Saurabh Shukla .Mr.Sanjay Devnani( Ext left) , president Khar Gymkhana also in the photo.
Both Nitin and Manish also went on to win the Open Men’s Doubles event, when they stopped the winning run of Percy Mehta & Sarosh Shroff. Earlier Percy and Sarosh had caused two upsets in quarter and semis, beating Yogesh Desai and Dinkar Shelarka and later beating the strong pair of Sunil Babras and Upendra Muley in a well contested match. The 40+ Men’s singles was also all Solapur affair, between Manish Rawat & Dr.Nitin Toshniwal , which was won by Manish.
The 65+ Men’s Singles section, witnessed a closely contested finals between Pinakin Sampat and Satish Kulkarni, which was stretched to 5 games, with Pinakin winning the decider very narrowly, over extra points. In the other men’s event, Prakash Kelkar the former national Veterans’ Champion and Sunil Babras, former international TT player, proved their supremacy with their fluent victories in the 60+ and 50+ category. A.S.Shaikh who is still unbeaten, won the Men’s Singles 70+ section. In the Women’s event, Moonmoon Mukherjee ,Suhasini Bakre, and Sunanda Rao won their respective Singles finals, while Suhasini Bakre with her partner Anagha Joshi won the Women’s Doubles event. Kulkarni family, comprising of Jayant his wife Neeta & brother Satish took home 4 Runners-up trophies , while Suhas Kulkarni was felicitated with a trophy , which was awarded to all those veterans’ National TT Champions from Maharashtra.
Officials and guests pose with Winners of the State Ranking Veterans’ TT Championship held at Khar Gymkhana.
Among those, who were felicitated, were Sunil Babras, Pinakin Sampat,Mangala Saraf, Suhasini Bakre, Yogesh Desai, K.K.Rai & Prakash kelkar . Popular Bollywood actor Saurabh Shuka was the chief guest and he along with President of Khar Gymkahana Mr.Sanjay Devnani gave away the prizes to the winners. Mr. Yogesh Desai, who had organized this tournament, with the sponsorship from Khar Gymkhana, proposed vote of thanks.
Jayant & Neeta, the popular couple in the TT field, had to satisfy with Runners-up trophies.
Results of All Finals :
Team Championship ( Final) Solapur ‘A’ bt Jain Sports ‘A’ 3-2
Manish Rawat lost to Suni Babras 6-11,21-10,11-6,4-11,9-11; Dr. Nitin Toshniwal bt Upendra Muley 11-6,8-11, 11-5,11-8; . Manish & Nitin lost to Sunil & Upendra 11-7,13-11,8-11,7-11,12-14. Nitin bt Sunil 11-9,11-6,14-16,11-9; Manish bt Upendra 11-2,14-12,11-13,11-5.
Men’s Doubles: (Open)
Dr.Nitin Toshniwal & Manish Rawat bt Percy Mehta & Sarosh Shroff 11-9,11-7,11-9
Men’s Singles ( 40+) : Manish Rawat bt Dr.Nitin Toshniwal
Men’s Singles(50+) Sunil Babras bt Vivek Alavani 11-3, 6-11,11-7 ( Match conceded by Vivek)
Men’s Singles (60+) Prakash kelkar bt Jayant Kulkarni 11-5,11-7,11-6.
Men’s Singles (65+) Pinakin Sampat bt Satish Kulkarni 11-9,11-5, 3-11,9-11,14-12.
Men’s Singles (70+) A.S.Shaikh bt Dr.P.D.Muley 11-2,11-3,11-3.
Women’s Singles (40+) : Moonmoon Mukherjee bt Shravani Dhapre 11-3,11-3,11-6.
Women’s Singles (50+)Suhasini Bakre bt Mangal Shroff 11-5,11-7,11-3.
Women’s Singles (50+) Sunanda Rao bt Preeti Pardeshi 11-9,11-6,12-14,11-4.
Women’s Doubles(Open) Suhasini Bakre & Anagha Joshi bt Neeta Ketkar & Mangala Saraf 15-13,11-8,11-9.