Toss Academy from Maharashtra clinched the title at the PMS Multi State Masters Table Tennis Team Championship, edging past fellow Maharashtra team Spinmoon 5 in a thrilling 3-2 finale at the Indoor Stadium, Campal, Panaji.
In a contest that went down to the wire, Toss Academy displayed resilience and teamwork to secure the coveted championship trophy along with a cash prize of ₹50,000. Spinmoon 5 had to settle for the runners-up position and a prize purse of ₹30,000. The first-of-its-kind multi-state team championship was organised by Panaji Morning Stars Sports Club, which has announced plans to scale up the event in future editions.
Earlier in the semi-finals, Toss Academy overcame MP Lions (Madhya Pradesh) 3-1, while Spinmoon 5 got the better of Guru Academy (Maharashtra) with an identical 3-1 scoreline. Both MP Lions and Guru Academy finished as joint third-place winners and received ₹10,000 each along with trophies.
The winning Toss Academy squad comprised Deepesh Abhyankar, Krupal Deshpande, Santosh Wakradkar, Ravindra Joshi, Vidur Pendharkar, and Suhas Rane. The Spinmoon 5 line-up featured Moonmoon Mukherjee, Rupesh Gharat, Suraj Chandrasekharan, Manish Rawat, Jayant Kulkarni, and Prasad Naik.
The multi-state championship witnessed spirited participation from top veteran players across Maharashtra, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, and Goa, with the objective of blending competitive table tennis with camaraderie and fellowship among seasoned players.
The finals were graced by Sudin Verenkar, President of the Goa Table Tennis Association, sports promoter Yogish Dempo, and office bearers of the host PMS Sports club – Niraj Kannure, Avdhut Kuvelkar, Dinesh Sinari, Chaitanya Tarcar, Deepak Gopani and Gaurish Agni among others.
