Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: The Indoor Stadium at Campal, Panaji will host the prestigious Multi-State Veterans Table Tennis Team Championship, featuring some of India’s top national table tennis veterans. The event, organized by the Panjim Morning Stars Sports Club (PMSSC), will see renowned players such as Jayant Kulkarni, Suhas Rane, Moon Moon Mukherjee, and Manish Rawat compete, promising high-level competition and vibrant camaraderie.
Maharashtra brings a strong lineup including Jayant Kulkarni, national gold medalist in the 59+ category; Suhas Rane, the state’s current No.1; Moon Moon Mukherjee, National Champion in the Women’s 39+ category with over 25 international medals; and Manish Rawat, 39+ National Champion. Other notable Maharashtra players include Atmaram Gangarde and Deepesh Abhyankar.
Karnataka’s team features top veterans such as Ramkumar UN, 39+ silver medalist and Singapore Veterans Open Champion, along with Kshitij Malhotra, Shivvkumar, and Sandeep SS. Madhya Pradesh is represented by highly ranked players Kishor Motwani and Vishal Jain.
Goa’s veteran contingent is led by Noel Noronha, a former State Champion who held the top spot in Goa rankings for 17 years. Other seasoned Goan players competing include Arun Naik, Amit Naik, Deepak Gopani, Satish Agrahar, and Niraj Kannure. Noronha highlighted the importance of the tournament for Goan players to gain exposure to higher levels of competition, noting, “Our players have potential but lack opportunities outside Goa. This championship offers a valuable platform.”
The tournament will feature 16 teams across three age categories: 39+, 49+, and 59+. Each team will have six players, with a mix of men and women evenly spread across the age groups. Matches will run over two days, beginning with an opening ceremony at 10:00 AM on June 14 and concluding with a closing ceremony and gala dinner on June 15.
Margao’s Deepak Chodankar will serve as Chief Referee for the event, which has a budget of ₹5 lakhs and offers a total cash prize pool of ₹1 lakh alongside attractive trophies.
Chaitanya G. Tarcar, founder and president of PMSSC, shared the club’s vision: “Since 2018, we have aimed to promote table tennis for all ages, fostering both competition and camaraderie. This championship marks our first multi-state event, with plans to expand nationally in the future.”
Key members of the organizing committee, including Niraj Kannure (President), Avdhut Kuvelkar (Secretary), Sanjeev Afzalpurkar (Member), and Noel Noronha, spoke at the press conference, underscoring the event as a celebration of sporting excellence and lifelong passion for table tennis.
The Multi-State Veterans Table Tennis Team Championship promises not only thrilling matches but also an opportunity to strengthen friendships and promote veteran athletes’ active lifestyles.
