Goa Table Tennis season for 2024 has officially commenced with the highly anticipated Ulhas Jewellers – BPS Major Ranking Table Tennis Tournament 2024, marking the first Major ranking tournament of the calendar season. This premier event is hosted by BPS Sports Club, one of the oldest and most dedicated members of the Goa Table Tennis Association, renowned for their commitment to promoting table tennis along with a variety of other sports.
President of the Goa Table Tennis Association, Sudin Vernenkar, expressed his enthusiasm, saying, “BPS Sports Club is one of our oldest affiliated members who are committed to promoting table tennis as well as various other sports through regular coaching sessions at their club premises. This is one of the biggest tournaments of this season with the club organizing events in all categories, including Para TT and Veterans.”
The tournament kicked off with the Veterans and Para TT events held over the first two days, while the Major Ranking Tournament is set to commence on June 18. All finals, spanning across various categories, are scheduled for June 23, with matches taking place daily from 3 pm onwards at the Multipurpose Stadium in Fatorda.
In the Veterans Semi-Finals, the duo Sandeep D’Mello and Marvando Mascarenhas triumphed over Leslie Noronha and Anthony Mendes with a score of 3-1. They will now face Jesus D’Costa and Sanjot Sankalp, who secured a dominant 3-0 victory against Sanford Xavier and Praveen Gad.
The Para TT category also saw thrilling matches, with the National Gold Medalist Lloyd Fernandes in Para making a notable impact by defeating Stany D’Souza 3-0 to advance to the Wheelchair category finals. He is set to compete against Moises Rodrigues, who narrowly beat Vishant Nagvekar 3-2 in a gripping semi-final match. In the Para Standing category, Alex Albuquerque will clash with Chetan Salgaonkar for the title. Albuquerque and Salgaonkar both achieved convincing 3-0 victories over Fleev Andrade and Gopal Naik, respectively.
Vikram Verlekar of Ulhas Jewellers, Chairman of the Sports Committee of BPS and Vice President of the Goa TT Association, highlighted the club’s dedication, stating, “With over 250 entries, the tournament underscores the growing interest in table tennis within Goa. BPS is committed to promoting the game through such events and bringing the game into the spotlight.”
