|
| KG-NECC MUMBAI OPEN SQUASH CHAMPIONSHIP (13/04/2006) |
|
seemed to have overcome Vikram Malhotra as he just shut off while leading 8-4 in the second game, after having won the first game 11-9 to end up eventual loser against top seed Sandeep Jangra. Sandeep Jangra prevailed 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4 to take home the winner's purse of Rs 6,000, while Malhotra had to be content with Rs 4,000. Also making heavy weather of his match was Abhishek Pradhan. Against the relative newcomer, Ajan Jayant, playing his first squash final, Pradhan huffed and puffed to a 11-3, 11-8, 13-11 victory.
Results :
Men's: Manish Chotrani bt Vikas Jangra 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-4
Boys' U-19 : Sandeep Jangra bt Vikram Malhotra 9-11, 11-9, 11-5, 11-4
Boys' U-15 : Abhishek Pradhan bt Ajan Jayant 11-3, 11-8, 13-11
Women's : Sachika Balwani bt Kiran Mirpuri 11-1, 11-7, 11-1
Men's over-35 : Gopi Mohite bt Jahangir Surti 6-11, 4-11, 12-10, 11-6, 11-7
JVPG - HARMAN ISP BAISAKHI SQUASH CLASSIC (14/04/2006)
At the prize distribution funtion - Winners and runners up along with office bearers of ISP and Co-sponsors Kalpesh Mehta, Ashish Mehta, Amit Mehra, Harpreet Singh Minhas (Main Sponsor, Director, Harman Finochem Pvt Ltd), Harsh Toteja (Chairman, Squash Committee) and Jagdish Parekh (Hon. Secretary
JVPG)
In a flurry of Squash Tournaments held around this time in April, Doubles Handicap was certainly the flavour of the season. Doubles Handicap has clearly emerged as a popular event, and as a platform to showcase teamwork and co-ordination, Tactical prowess superseding Technical refinement, and most importantly an opportunity for very young players to gain experience by teaming up with an experienced partner. The fun element in doubles matches result in lesser pressure for those in the learning stage, and the stronger partner can always share a greater load towards this end.
Results :
Finals:
Neeraj Shiragaonkar and Vikram Malhotra bt Manish Chotrani and Vijay Sonawane 12-15, 15-12, 15-7, 15-10
Semi Finals:
Neeraj Shiragaonkar and Vikram Malhotra bt Sanjay Goyal and Rohan Gracious 7-15, 15-13, 15-8
Manish Chotrani and Vijay Sonawane bt Dheeraj Nagpal and Mohammed Merchant 17-15, 10-15, 15-9 |
At the prize distribution function from L to R standing Ashish Gupta (President, ISP, Gopi Mohite (Winner, O-35), Sanjay Goyal (Sec. Gen., ISP), Sundar Sadhnani (President, Khar Gymkhana), Noreena (VP,ISP), Praveen Jain (Dir, NECC), Abdul Shaikh (Squash Coach, Canada), Mahendra Agarwal (Dir, ISP), winners Abhishek Pradhan (Boys U-15), Sandeep Jangra (Boys U-19) and Manish Chotrani (Men's Open). |
|
If there remained any doubt about Manish Chotrani's sway over the game of squash in the city, he dispelled it with a commanding four-game win over Vikas Jangra to lift the men's singles title in the Rs 52,000/- Prize money KG-NECC Mumbai Open Squash Championship. That he still continues to dominate the sport at the age of 35 is a glowing testimony to his squash skills and fitness but also a sad comment on the current crop of emerging squash talent in the city.
Chotrani matched the fitter and younger Jangra from Indian Navy stroke for stroke, racing to two-game lead, before taking a breather of sorts in the third, which he lost and coming back in the fourth strongly to just demolish the second-seeded player. Chotrani won 11-8, 11-7, 5-11, 11-4 to pocket the winner's purse of Rs 8,000. It was Chotrani's second major title in four days, having won the ISP-Maharashtra Top 8 event.
The first game between Jangra and Chotrani began at a furious pace, with Jangra racing to a 6-2 lead. However, four continuous shots into the tin helped Chotrani bounce back and Jangra continued making unforced errors to give Chotrani the game. The experienced Chotrani, used all the time he could between points to get his breath back and was content to keep the ball in play, while the impatient and impetuous Jangra kept making the errors to lose the second game too. Jangra did manage to bounce back in the third with some good kills and boasts, a game that Chotrani somehow gave up midway, conserving his energy for the fourth, where he was at his best, moving Jangra around and then killing the ball to win points at will. However, his performance was marred somewhat by his incessant arguing with the referee, something not befitting a player of his stature.
Young Sachika Balwani is taking giant steps towards the senior ranks of women's squash in the country. Sachika, who will turn 12 on the 4th of May, still possessed enough squash skills and spunk and rout Kiran Mirpuri 11-1, 11-7, 11-1 to lift the women's title. Sachika, no more the frail lass she was when she began her career, was never in trouble against the taller and physically Mirpuri, aged 26, but a newcomer to the sport. Sachika took home Rs 4,000 for her effort. In the boy's under-19 final, a sudden bout of boredom and complacency |
|
|
|
