The Leela - Monarch- Timmy Builders Doubles Squash

Mr Vivek Nair (MD, Hotel The Leela) giving away the runners-up trophy to Akhil Behl & Niraj Shirgaokar along with Mahendra Agarwal (Founder Director, ISP) & Timmy Mehta (Sponsor)

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All Results 

FINALS RESULTS:
Darius Pandole/Darius Surti (CCI) beat Akhil Behl/Niraj Shirgaokar (Otters Club) 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 7-15, 15-10

SEMIFINALS RESULTS:
Akhil Behl/Niraj Shirgaokar (Otters Club) beat Chandrakant Pawar/Vinit Chauhan (The Leela) 15-11,15-8,12-15,15-4
Darius Pandole/Darius Surti beat Yogesh Panchal & Rashid Jehangir (Bombay Gym)

QUARTER-FINALS RESULTS:
D. Pandole and D. Surti (CCI) beat Manish Chotrani and Nikhil Behl (Khar Gym) 3-2
Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl (Otters) beat Gopi Mohite and Ben Ari Elias (Bombay Gym.) 15-10,15-1,7-15,15-12
C. S. Pawar and Vinit Chauhan (Leela) beat Cyrus Poncha and Paul Ferreira (Otters) 15-12,8-15,15-8,15-10.

All Press Articles of tournament

Pandole – Surti emerge best
Free Press Journal :  5/5/1994

Cricket Club if India’s Darius Pandole and Darius Surti overcame the challenge of Otters Club’s Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl in five sets 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 7-15, 15-10 to win the inaugural Squash Doubles Championship co-sponsored by Timmy Builders & Monarch Builders and The Leela at the latter’s glass back courts. The winner’s were richer by Rs.10,000 from the Rs.25,000 prize money tournament. Rs.5,000 was awarded to the runners-up and Rs.2,500 to the third placed pair.

The final was a lively affair with the left-handed Shirgaokar puzzling the CCI pair with his retrieving and expected shots However, Akhil Behl, a trifle less experienced compared to the other three, cracked under pressure in the tense decider.

Leela team prevail
The Independent : 24/3/1994

THE SCRATCH combination of Vinit Chauhan and Prashant Agarwal of The Leela rallied from a game down to defeat Sameer and Suresh of Playmate Club 13-15, 15-12,15-14 in the opening round of the first ever doubles squash tournament, sponsored by Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders at the glass back court of The Leela.

In other matches, Subhash Walia and Jogi Singh of Juhu Centaur beat Sandeep and Kaushik of Andheri Sports Club and Otter’s Club’s Arif Paul and Avinash Bhavnani beat Shishir Jain and Ketan of Andheri Sports Complex. 

Dariuses supreme in doubles squash
Indian Express : 3/5/1994

The Cricket Club of India tandem of Darius Pandole and Darius Surti beat the Otter’s club pair of Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl in a five game sweat out to clinch the first Squash Doubles Tournament, co-sponsored by Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders, at the glass-back court of the Leela Kempenski, here, on Sunday.

The Darius Clinched a 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 7-15, 15-10 verdict to pocket the winner’s cheque of Rs.10,000 in the Rs.25,000 prize money championship.

Bombay Gymkhana’s Yogesh Panchal and Rashid Jehangir finished third with a 15-4, 15-12, 15-6 win over Chandrakant Pawar and Vinit Chauhan of The Leela.

Mohite, Elias Prevail
Time of India : 8/4/1994

Bombay Gymkhana’s Gopi Mohite and Ben Ari-Elias prevailed Sea Rock’s Vishal Jasoja and Mangesh Nadkarni in a thrilling encounter 17-16, 5-15, 15-8 in the Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders inaugural doubles squash tournament at the Leela Hotel.

In another encounter, Manish Chotrani and Nikhil Behl of Khar Gymkhana got the better of Abbas AI and Baburao Salvi, of Holiday Inn 17-16, 15-5.

Surti and Pandole supreme
Times of India : 3/5/1994

THOUGH taken to five games, Cricket Club of India’s Darius Surti and Darius Pandole had things under control to become the champions of the inaugural Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders doubles squash tournament, co-sponsored by The Leela, at their glass back courts yesterday.

The CCI pair were up against a younger pair in Otters Club’s Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl. The former a left hander, the later a stroke player. However, the two played well in patches and, as the match wore on, the CCI pair began attacking the less experienced Behl. That paid dividends in the deciding fifth game.

Having to play most of the returns, Behl cracked under pressure, began hitting too many shots, especially off the sidewall and made mistakes in a heap to let the CCI duo through at 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 7-15 and 15-10 for the top prize of Rs.10,000.

The runners-up got Rs.5,000 Rs.2,500 went to Yogesh Panchal and Rashid Jehangir, of Bombay Gymkhana, who clinched the third position with a 15-4, 15-12, 15-6 win over The Leela’s Chandrakant Pawar and Vinit Chauhan.

Mr. Ramesh Kamat, former president, Squash Rackets Association of Maharashtra, congratulated the sponsors on the novel doubles tournament. 

Ferriera, Poncha lose
Independent : 20/4/1994

PROFESSIONAL CHANDRAKANT Pawar and teammate Vinit Chauhan had too many aces up their sleeves for the youthful pair Paul Ferriera and Cyrus Poncha in the quarter-finals of the doubles squash tournament, sponsored by Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders at The Leela court on Sunday. Pawar and Chauhan, who had won the suburban doubles title last year, prevailed 15-12, 8-15, 15-8, 15-10 to move one step closer to the winner’s purse of  Rs.10,000. It was the experience of Pawar and Chauhan which saw them through, as they tried out Paul Ferriera, who tried to do too much by himself in the four set encounter. 

Ferriera -------Poncha extended
Times of India : 12/4/1994 

Paul Ferrriera  and Cyrus Poncha ran into unexpected opposition from A. Soni and Umesh Mehra before they were through to the last eight of the inaugural doubles squash tournament of Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders, co-sponsored by the Leela at their glass back Sahar on Sunday.

Ferriera took more of the ball than Poncha and found the opponents returning everything in the close second game which went to extra points. Ferriera and Poncha won 15-10, 17-15. 

Pawar – Vinit win
Free Press Journal : 20/4/1994

THE youthful pair of Paul Ferriera and Cyrus Poncha came a cropper against professional Chandrakant Pawar and Vinit Chauhan in the quarter-finals of the first Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders Doubles Squash Tournament at The Leela courts. The event is being co-sponsored by The Leela and carries a top prizes of Rs.10,000

Pawar and Chauhan had won the Suburban doubles title last year. They tried out Ferriera, who took too much upon himself in the four-set encounter. Pawar and Chauhan, who won 15-12, 8-15, 15-8, 15-10 now run into Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl of Otters Club, who defeated Bombay Gymkhana’s Gopi Mohite and Ben Ari Elias 15-10, 15-1, 7-15, 15-12.

Khar Gymkhana’s Manish Chotrani and Nikhil Behl did well to take game off Darius Pandole and Darius Surti (CCI) before losing 15-9, 12-15, 15-7. The winners take on Bombay Gymkhana’s Rashid Jahangir and Yogesh Panchal, who beat Rishad Billimoria and Vaman Apte (Willingdon) 17-15, 15-13, 15-13.

 Leela squash tournament
Afternoon : 26/4/1994 

In one of the best doubles encounter of the Leela squash tournament, which lasted 100 minutes, D. Pandole  and D. Surti (CCI) beat Yogesh Panchal and Rashid Jahangir (Bombay Gym) 12-15, 15-11, 15-8, 9-15, 17-14.

After being two games all and down 3-12 in the decider, Panchal and Jahangir made a brilliant comeback to level at 12all.

The tournament is sponsored by Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders and The Leela.

The finals and the third and fourth place matches will be played on May 1.

Good response for doubles squash event
Sunday Times : 20/3/1994 

THE organizers have received an overwhelming response to the first ever doubles squash tournament sponsored by Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders which is to commence at the Leela courts from Sunday.

Thirty-two pairs from eleven clubs and hotels have entered the fray. Among them are former India player Ananth Nayak and Kotecha from CCI, Darius Pandole and Darius Surti, also from CCI, Yogesh Panchal and Rashid Jahangir (Bombay Gym) and professional Gopi Mohite and K.S. Bains (Bombay Gym). Other strong candidates for the prize of Rs.10,000 are the Otters pairs Paul Ferreria and Cyrus Poncha, and Akhil Behl and Niraj Shirgaokar.

Title for CCI pair
Independent : 3/5/1994 

The pair of Darius Pandole and Darius Surti, representing the Cricket Club of India, quelled the challenge of Otters Club’s Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl to win the inaugural squash championship, sponsored by Monarch Builders and Timmy Builders at the Leela courts on Sunday.

The CCI combination won in five sets, 15-7, 9-15, 15-13, 7-15 and 15-10 to take home the winner’s purse of Rs.10,000. The runners-up pair won Rs.5,000

In the match for third place, Bombay Gymkhana’s Yogesh Panchal and Rashid Jahangir defeated The Leela’s Chandrakant Pawar and Vinit Chauhan to be richer by Rs.2,500.

The final was peppered with erratic play and fluctuating for tunes in tandem, enabling both teams win two sets each with relative ease. The decider saw Otter’s Akhil Behl, a bit inexperienced to the Otter’s, cracking under pressure. His unforced errors prompted the CCI pair to keep on attacking on Behl’s side, a strategy which paid off in the end.

Vivek Nair of The Leela was the chief guest for the occasion.

Pawar & Chauhan beat younger rivals
Times of India : 22/4/1994 

Chandrakant Pawar and Vinit Chauhan staked a strong claim for the title in the inaugural Timmy Builders and Monarch Builders doubles squash tournament, co-sponsored by the Leela, when beating a younger pair, Paul Ferriera and Cyrus Poncha to reach the semi-finals.

The Otters’s pair failed to combine, while Pawar and Chauhan, playing on their home courts at The Leela, showed why they won the suburban doubles title last year.

Pawar and Chauhan now play Niraj Shirgaokar and Akhil Behl of Otters, who beat Bombay Gymkhana’s Gopi Mohite and Ben Ari Elias. The other semi final next Sunday pits Darius Pandole and Darius Surti (CCI) against Rashid Jahangir and Yogesh Panchal (Bombay Gym) Khar’s Manish Chotrani and Nikhil Behl did well to take a set off Pandole and Surti who played the ball to length. The top pair stands to claim Rs.10,000.