Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Vishnu Sinai Dempo Memorial All Goa Inter School Invitational Table Tennis Tournament concluded on a high note at the Indoor Stadium, Campal, with Bhatikar Model High School and Manovikas High School emerging champions in the boys’ and girls’ categories respectively.
In a closely fought boys’ final, Bhatikar Model High School edged past Manovikas High School 3–2 after an intense contest that kept spectators engaged till the very end. The opening match saw Bhatikar’s Yug Prabhu narrowly lose 2–3 to Ruhaan Shaikh, giving Manovikas an early advantage. Bhatikar responded swiftly as Chandan Caro delivered a convincing 3–0 victory over Ishaan Colaco to level the tie.
Manovikas regained the lead when Aarav Devgan overcame Dhruv Kanji 3–1 in the third rubber. However, the momentum shifted once again as Chandan Caro produced a dominant display to defeat Ruhaan Shaikh 3–0. With the title on the line, Yug Prabhu showed remarkable composure to seal a 3–1 win against Ishaan Colaco, clinching the championship for Bhatikar. Risham Rao was also part of the victorious squad and contributed significantly during the earlier rounds of the tournament.
The girls’ final, in contrast, was a one sided affair as Manovikas High School asserted their dominance with a clean 3–0 win over Sharada Mandir High School. Pradnya Caro set the tone with a straight games victory over Shreya Phadte. Ishita Colaco followed up with another 3–0 win against Anaya Srivastava, before Aarna Lotlikar wrapped up the tie by defeating Erin Da Costa in similar fashion. Sanisha Sinha also impressed with her performances earlier in the competition.
The inter school tournament, organised by the Panaji Morning Stars Sports Club in collaboration with Dempo Royals, featured 16 schools, 28 teams and 103 players, highlighting the growing depth of table tennis talent in Goa. Sharada Mandir High School A finished third in the boys’ category, while Sharada Mandir B secured third place among the girls. Nilaya Walavalkar and Zakir Mulla were recognised with the Promising Player awards for their standout performances.
