Gujarat’s Malay Thakkar strikes gold in National Masters TT meet

Gandhidham: Gujarat’s prolific paddler Malay Thakkar struck gold in the men’s 50+ singles category of the 29th National Masters Table Tennis Championships held in Jalandhar from April 24 to April 30.

Thakkar became the national champion after he dispatched Manish Rawat of Maharashtra in the final.

It was double delight for the former state champion Malay as he teamed up with Neha Patel and won the bronze medal in the mixed doubles 50+ category. Gujarat’s Hiral Mehta and Sonal Joshi won the gold medal in this category.

Sonal, from Bhavnagar, too tasted individual glory as she brought home a bronze medal in the Women’s 50+ singles category.

Ahmedabad’s Parag Shah also settled for a bronze medal in the men’s 60+ singles category.

In the men’s 75+ singles category, Gujarat’s paddlers put up a stupendous show as Indresh Purohit won the gold, Nazmi Khinkhabwala took the silver and Rasik Dave got the bronze medal.

Gujarat’s women’s 50+ team, consisting Divya Pandya, Sonal Joshi, Neha Patel, Saroj Goyal, got the better of Punjab team to finish on the top of the podium and give Gujarat another gold.

Other medals:

Men’s doubles 75+: Gold: Nazmi Khinkhabwala & Indresh Purohit; Silver: 2. Ashok Bhrambhatt & Rasik Dave

Men’s doubles 70+: Bronze: Baldev Vaghela & Kantilal Rathod

Women’s doubles 40+: Bronze: Shraddha Maheshwary & Neha Patel

Women’s doubles 50+: Gold: Divya Pandya & Sonal Joshi

Women’s team 60+: Bronze (Girja Kabra, Bhavna Shah, Padmini Desai)

Men’s team 75+: Gold (Nazmi Khinkhabwala, Ashok Bhrambhatt, Rasik Dave, Indresh Purohit).

Men’s team 40+: Gold (Gujarat’s Sikandar Jam representing IA& AD-A)