Jain emerges champ

Winners of all categories pose for a group snap with the guests. (Pic The Hitavada)


Helps Lokmat ‘A’ win team championship


LOKMAT’S Ashish Jain had the better of his injured opponent Vilas Tijare, also of Lokmat, in the final of the 6th badminton tournament for mediapersons to win the men’s singles title.
The three-day meet was organised by Sports Journalists’ Association of Nagpur (SJAN) in co-operation with the PGTD of Physical Education, RTM Nagpur University.
Jain, who picked up his second SJAN singles title, also helped his team secure the team championship. He won his singles and then with partner Amit Sampat defeated the Sakal’s combine of Naresh Shelke-Rajesh Vyawahare for the team championship victory.
In the men’s singles final, Jain defeated colleague Tijare 21-8,
21-2. Tijare had an elbow injury which got aggravated in an earlier game when he executed some smashes. In the team championship final, surprise finalist Sakal put up a good fight against Lokmat A.
Jain trounced Rajesh Vyawahare 21-6, 21-5 but Manoj Muley made it 1-1 when he beat Pawan Dhande 21-12, 22-20. Pawan tried his best in a tight second game but Muley kept his cool and with his deft placings prevailed. The combination of Jain and Sampat restored the lead with 21-19, 21-5 win over Naresh Shelke-Vyawahare. With better reach, Sakal’s combination put up a good fight in the first game of the doubles but they ran out of steam in the second to lose tamely.
In the first reverse singles Tijare, who had earlier beaten Shelke in the men’s singles, again won 21-11,
21-4 to finish it off for Lokmat A.
Earlier, in the team championship semi-finals, The Hitavada A lost to eventual champions Lokmat A 3-1.
Dhande defeated an error-prone Anupam Soni 30-24 in the first singles for a 1-0 lead. Jain gave no chance whatsoever to a fighting Hitesh Limbachia in his clinical
30-8 win. 2-0. The Hitavada’s Soni, partnering Nikhil Dixit, however kept the tie alive by winning the doubles 30-23. The loss prompted Jain to play the first reverse singles in which he outsmarted Dixit 30-11.
The Hitavada’s women players won all the cash and trophies on offer. Tanveer Shaikh won the title beating Farina Salim in the final while Anushree Rotkar and Yemon Ganguly were the losing
semi-finalist.
Girish Pandav, President, Radhikatai Pandav Charitable Trust was the chief guest of the prize distribution function. Rakesh Kochhar, Director, Gurunanak College of Engineering, Dr Yeshwant Patil, Co-ordinator, Post Graduate Teaching Department of Physical Education, RTM Nagpur University and SSK Naidu, SAI coach shared the dais. Dr Ram Thakur, President, SJAN, made introductory remarks. Naresh Shelke Vice-President conducted the proceedings while Kishor Bagde, Joint-Secretary proposed a vote of thanks. (Report: The Hitavada)