Dev gets it right

Dev gets it right
By Pawar VV

Paddler’s decision to pick MSSA tourney over sub-junior nationals comes good with U-14 triumph.

Top seed Dev Shroff continued his emphatic form with a hardfought win over second seed Manav Mehta in the MSSA boys’ U-14 table tennis final at the Dharavi Sports Complex yesterday.

The 12-year-old, who earlier helped Jamnabai High School (Juhu) win the team event, defeated Manav 10-12 12-10 12-10 14-12.

The Mumbai and Maharashtra number one skipped the sub-junior nationals in Delhi to participate in this MSSA tournament.

“I am the youngest in the Maharashtra team right now and have three more years to play. My school needed me this time, so I decided to play in this tournament,” said Shroff, who bagged his second MSSA trophy. He had won the U-10 title two years back.


The India number four is keen on playing more international tournaments in the near future.

“Hopefully with time and by winning more tournaments my overall ranking will improve,” he quipped.


FINAL SCORES

Girls U-10
Risha Mirchandani (RN Podar) lost to Gloria George (Little Angels) 5-11 9-11 7-11; Girls U-12: Tia D’Souza (Ryan International) beat Avril Saldanhana (Cambridge School) 11-8 11-4 11-7; Girls U-14: Vidhi Shah (Utpal Sanghvi) beat Sheefa Shaikh (St Teresas) 13-11 11-9 8-11 11-7; Girls U-16: Vidhi Dhoot (St John’s Universal) lost to Tainvita Thakur (Ryan International) 6-11 11-6 10-12 11-13;
Boys U-10: Harish Asrani (Josudhan ML) 11-3 11-5 11-1 beat Kushal Patel (Jamnabai Narsee); Boys U-12: Yohan Mehta (Cathedral & John Connon) 11-6 4-11 2-11 5-11 lost to Amav Karnavar (Ryan Int); Boys U-16: Varun Sharma (St Blaise) beat Atharva Kurade 11-9 11-7 4-11 11-5.