Aaron Farias
PANAJI
Rishan Shaikh will face Chandan Caro in a much-anticipated Boys U17 final, while the U17 Girls final will feature an exciting clash between Ishita Colaso and Pradnya Caro. In the U19 category, Aaron Farias will go head-to-head with Chandan Caro in the Boys final, and Ishita Colaso will battle Urvi Surlakar for the U19 Girls title. The opening day of the Late Manohar Sawkar Goa State Table Tennis Championship 2024-25, held at the Peddem Sports Complex, saw thrilling performances from Goa’s emerging table tennis stars.
The championship, organized by the North Goa District Table Tennis Association in aegis with the Goa Table Tennis Association and the Sports Authority of Goa, witnessed intense competition in the quarterfinals and semifinals across the Junior age categories.
In the U-17 Boys category, the quarterfinals saw standout matches, including Rishan Shaikh’s 3-1 win over Darren Duarte and Chandan Caro’s hard-fought 3-2 victory against Dhruva Kamat. In the semifinals, Rishan caused the day’s major upset, defeating top seed Aaron Farias 3-2 in a nail-biting encounter, while Chandan overcame Atharv Dhulapkar 3-1 to secure his spot in the finals.
The U-17 Girls quarterfinals featured dominant displays by Ishita Colaso, who breezed past Shreya Phadte 3-0, and Pradnya Caro, who defeated Anaya Srivastava with an identical scoreline. In the semifinals, Ishita outclassed Riya Gopi 3-0, and Pradnya overcame Neeza Kamat 3-0 to set up an exciting final.
In the U-19 Boys category, Aaron Farias showcased his skill with a commanding 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Surendra Chube, followed by another 3-0 win against Atharv Dhulapkar in the semifinals. Chandan Caro, who had earlier defeated Yug Prabhu 3-1 in the quarters, edged past Rishan Shaikh 3-2 in a thrilling semifinal match.
The U-19 Girls category also delivered riveting matches. Ishita Colaso advanced to the finals with a hard-fought 3-2 win over Pradnya Caro in the semifinals, while Urvi Surlakar earned her place in the final by cruising past Neeza Kamat 3-0 after a tough 3-2 quarterfinal victory over Anushri Naik.
