Jennifer, Ishika, Aadi to vie for top honours

City paddlers Jennifer Varghese, Ishika Umathe and Aadi Chitnis will vie for the top honours in Dr Ramesh Yashwant Prabhoo Memorial 1st Maharashtra State Ranking Table Tournament 2021-2022, to be conducted under the auspices of the Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association which is scheduled to commence at the Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul, Vile Parle (East) from Friday.

City's 13-year-old Jennifer who recently won the Under-15 national gold and bronze medal in youth category at Mohali in Punjab is seeded first in the Under-15 category.

Similarly, Ishitaka is seeded third in the Under-13 section. Aadi Chitnis will try his luck in Under-14, Under-19 and in the men's category.

Apart from them, around 70 city players are participating in the tournament. talking to Lokmat Times the secretary of Nagpur DistrictTable Tennis Association (NDTTA) Adv.Ashutosh Potnis has expected a good show from city players. " We have lot of expectations from out players particularly from Jennigeri, Ishika and Aadi. They are our medal conteders. I am wishing them best of luck," he said.

Meanwhile an overwhelming response of 800 entries have been received for the tournament

The men’s singles and women’s singles events have attracted entries from 85 and 37 players respectively from all districts across the state. There would also be competition for boys and girls singles in the Under-11, Under-13,U under-15, Under-17, Under-19 and youth boys’ and girls’ in the under-21 age categories.

Earlier in January, TSTTA under the leadership of President Arvind Prabhoo, Chairman Yogesh Desai and secretary Sameer Bhate had successfully conducted the Maharashtra State TT Championship, after a spell of 23 years, at the PTKS, which provides the participants international standards playing condition in 9000 square feet hall covered with quality synthetic surface.