Ishita Colaso etched her name in Goan table tennis history by securing an extraordinary quadruple crown, while Chandan Caro completed a remarkable triple crown on the final day of the Late Manohar Sawkar Goa State Table Tennis Tournament 2025, organised by the Goa Table Tennis Association in collaboration with the Sports Authority of Goa at the Multipurpose Stadium, Fatorda. Men’s Singles top seed Aaron Farias also shone brightly, clinching the prestigious title with a commanding 4-2 win over Manish Yadav.
Ishita stamped her authority across age groups, winning the Girls U15 final against Sachi Dessai (3-0), the Girls U17 final over Neeza Kamat (3-1), the Girls U19 final again defeating Neeza (3-2), and the Women’s Singles final against Urvi Surlakar (3-0).
Chandan showcased exceptional dominance in the boys’ categories, triumphing in the Boys U15 final against Dhruva Kamat (3-0), the Boys U17 final also over Dhruva (3-0), and the Boys U19 final, where he prevailed against Aaron Farias (3-2).
Earlier, young talents rose to the occasion across divisions. Ishaan Colaso beat Aarish Shaikh (3-0) for the Boys U11 title making it a clean sweep of 10 titles this season, while Anaya Shukla overcame Shaurya Dessai (3-0) to claim the Girls U11 crown. Ruhaan Shaikh came back from 2-1 down to win the Boys U13 title against Yug Prabhu (3-2), and Aarna Lotlikar captured the Girls U13 title defeating Sachi Dessai (3-2).
In para events, Chetan Salgaonkar clinched the Para Standing title over Alex Albuquerque (3-1), and Dharmesh Kuri emerged champion in Para Wheelchair, beating Sadaf Fatima (3-0).
At the valedictory function, Sports Minister Ramesh Tawadkar praised the tournament and the outstanding performances, highlighting the need to nurture talent from rural regions. He cited the inspiring journey of Babu Gaonkar, who rose from village-level beginnings to achieve national and international recognition.
The Minister reflected on his long association with sports – for 10 years as a physical education teacher and later as Sports Minister during the Lusofonia Games era, when many enduring facilities were created. He emphasised that athletes from remote areas often struggle due to travel limitations, hindering their true potential. “To bridge this gap,” he said, “Goa must establish more training centres with residential facilities, where young players can live, learn, and train together to achieve national-level excellence.”
The ceremony was graced by GTTA president Sudin Verenkar, vice-president Mayur Sawkar, joint-secretary Nilesh Kirtani, tournament director Santosh Verenkar, and referee Deepak Chodankar among others. On the occasion, para table tennis national champion Lloyd Fernandes, who represented India at the ITTF Asian Para Championships 2025, was felicitated for his outstanding achievements.
