Parsee Gymkhana Are First Division Champions

At Mumbai City District Interclub TT

PT Special Correspondent, and Captain/Manager of the triumphant PG Team, Hoshang Katrak, reports

Parsee Gymkhana (Marine Lines) joined the big league in Table-Tennis and created a record of sorts when, in only their third appearance, they bagged top honours in the city’s premier tournament which concluded at the NSCI on 31st May, 2018.
A hundred teams had battled it out in four divisions in the month-and-a-half long Inter-Office and Inter-Club tournament. Parsee Gymkhana, which was slotted in the prestigious 1st Division, since their entry in 2016, was assured of a top two finish thanks to Zubin Taraporewalla and India No.5 (Youth category) Sanish Ambekar. The latter will be seen later this month in UTT (Ultimate Table-Tennis), with teams including world players.
PG competed in, what was arguably, the best match of the first division, against MLWB-KKB. The Gymkhana team started on the wrong note when Zubin lost in five games against the 20-year-old Shubham Amre. Sanish then equalised by beating Mandar Hardikar in three games. With the two top clubs tied 1-1, Mayuresh Kelkar of PG and Gaurav Parte battled it out before Mayuresh romped home in a gruelling five-setter, winning the decider 13-11. After Shubham equalised by shocking Sanish, it was left to Zubin to guide PG home in the deciding fifth tie.
Speaking to Parsi Times, Zubin Taraporewalla said, “It was fantastic rubbing shoulders with some of the best players in the city. This would not have been possible without the initiative and unstinting efforts of Parsee Gymkhana.”
The tournament was efficiently conducted by the newly elected committee of Mumbai City District (MCD) under the able guidance of former international TT player, Kamlesh Mehta.
“Indeed a very proud and historic moment for all the members of PG, having won the ‘Div I’ title for the very first time. It was indeed a nostalgic feeling when Hoshang and the team members went to collect the Championship Trophy. All credit to Hoshang Katrak, who single-handedly has been working on TT at the Gymkhana from 2014,” added VP and Cricket Secretary of PG, Khodadad Yazdegardi.