ISP Squash
 
   
   
 

MUMBAI SCHOOLS SPORTS ASSOCIATION - 1st  SBI - MSSA  INTER SCHOOL SQUASH TOURNAMENT

  11th Feb 2006 at CCI
   
 
 

  At the prize distribution ceremony held at the lawn of CCI from left to right: Ishaan Advani (Winner in Boys U-11 category), Mr Ashish Gupta (President, ISP), Saumya Karki (Girls U-13), Viraj Nayar (Boys U-15), Abhishek Pradhan (Boys U-13) & Sanjay Goyal (Secretary General, ISP)

 

Click here for more photographs

 

All Results :

Final: 

Finals :

Boys U-11:
1-Ishan Advani (Cathedral & John Connon) bt 4-Arjun Kochhar (Cathedral) 11-9, 11-2, 11-3.
3rd place:
Aviroop Ghosal (Hiranandani Foundation)

Boys U-13:
1-Abhishek Pradhan (Don Bosco, Borivali) bt 2-Mahesh Mangaonkar (Don Bosco, Borivali) 11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8.
3rd place:
Caran Arora (Cathedral).

Boys U-15:
Viraj Nayar (Bombay International) bt Ness Billimoria (St. Mary’s ICSE) 11-8, 11-9, 11-6.
3rd place:
Pranay Merchant (Bombay International).

Girls U-13:
1-Saumya Karki (Hiranandani) bt Ankita Sharma (AVM, Juhu) 11-8, 11-4, 10-11, 11-4.
3rd place:
Sachika Balvani (Bombay Scottish).

Semi-finals : 

Boys under 11:
1- Ishaan Advani (Cathedral & John Cannon) bt 2-Raghav Mehrotra (Cathedral & John Connon)11-8, 11-5, 11-6;
4-Arjun Kochhar (Cathedral &John Cannon) bt 3-Aviroop Ghosal (Hiranandani foundation)11-6, 11-0, 11-8.

Boys under 13:
1-Abhishek Pradhan (Don Bosco High School) bt Vardhan Ladiwala 11-3,11-3, 11-0.
2-Mahesh Mangaonkar (Don Bosco High School) bt Caran Arora (Cathedral & John Cannon) 11-6,11-8,11-4.

Boys under 15:
Viraj Nayar (Bombay International) bt 1- Pranay Merchant (Bombay International) 6-11, 8-11, 11-9, 11-7, 11-1.
Ness Billimoria (St Mary's ICSE) btAtish Chhabria 9-11,11-5, 11-3, 11-8.

Girls under 13 and 11:
1-Saumya Karki (Hiranandani foundation) bt Shriya Khatri (Hiranandani foundation) 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 5-11, 11-8;
2-Ankita Sharma bt Sachika Balwani (Bombay Scottish) 11-5, 12-10, 11-6.

Quarter-finals:

Girls under 13 and 11:
1-Saumya Karki (Hiranandani foundation) bt Sena 11-1, 11-1, 11-2.
Shriya Khatri (Hiranandani foundation) bt Sanjana Merchant (Bombay International) 11-2, 11-4, 11-3.
Ankita Sharma bt Aishwarya Kulkarni (Hiranandani foundation) 11-1, 11-2, 11-5.
2-Sachika Balwani (Bombay Scottish) w/o Mullaji Nandini (Cathedral &John Cannon).

Boys under 11:
1-Ishaan Advani (Cathedral& John Connon) bt Naik Aryaman (V C W Arya Vidya) 11-0, 11-3, 11-1;
2-Raghav Mehrotra (Cathedral & John Connon) bt Aditya Khatri 11-7,11-6,11-5;
3-Aviroop Ghosal (Hiranandani Foundation) bt Kunj Rawani (Don Bosco, Matunga) 11-6, 8-11, 8-11, 11-4, 11-6;
4-Arjun Kochhar (Cathedral & John Connon) bt Amal Hosangady (St. Mary's ICSE) 11-5, 8-11, 11-7, 11-7.

Boys under-13:
1-Abhishek Pradhan (Don Bosco, Borvili) bt Ajan Jayant (Cathedral & John Connon) 11-2, 11-2, 11-3;
Vardhan Ladiwala (St Mary's ICSE) bt Aakash Kutty (Hiranandani Foundation) 11-6, 15-13, 11-16;
Caran Arora (Cathedral & John Connon) bt Aditya Kochhar (Cathedral & John Connon) 11-2, 11-0, 11-4;
2-Mahesh Mangaonkar (Don Bosco, Borivli) beat Riyan Bhatia( St Mary's ICSE) 11-3 11-8 11-2.

Boys under-15:
1-Pranay Merchant (Bombay International) bt Akhil Bakhshi (St Mary's ICSE) 11-4, 11-5, 11-1;
Viraj Nayar (Bombay International ) bt Shaab Bhanji (Bombay Scottish) 11-3, 11-3, 11-5;
Ness Billimoria bt Adesh Bhansali ( Bombay International) 11-3, 11-4,11-6;
Atish Chhabria (St Mary's ICSE) bt (2) Sanmeet Singh Anand (Lilavatibai Podar) 11-9, 7-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4.


 

Press Articles of the tournament :

 

Pradhan reigns Supreme
(Article in Indian Express, Mumbai : 11/2/2006)

Abhisek Pradhan and Mahesh Mangaonkar are the best of friends, going to the same school and studying in the same class, but put the two on a squash court against each other and there’s no quarter given as they strive to get the better of each other. In other and of the several battles between the two, top seed Pradhan of Don Bosco, Borivali, prevailed over schoolmate Mangaonkar in five games to lift the boys under-13 title in the inaugural SBI MSSA Inter-Schools Squash Tournament, organised by the Indian Squash Professionals at the glass backed courts of the CCI, here, on Saturday.

In the other finals, top seed Ishan Advani of Cathdral & John Connon was an easy winner over fourth seeded schoolmate Arjun Kochhar, while unseeded Viraj Nayar of Bombay International continued his good form to get the better of St. Mary’s ICSE’s Ness Billimoria, also in straight games.

The girls under-13 title was lifted by top seed Soumya Karki of Hiranandani Foundation, who dropped a game before getting the better of Arya Vidya Mandir’s Ankita Sharma 11-8, 11-4, 10-11, 11-4.

 

Pradhan Punch
Abhishek
adds spice to schools squash tourney

(Article in Mid-Day, Mumbai : 9/2/2006)

Abhishek Pradhan eased past Mishaal Nathani in straight games 11-2, 11-5, and 11-0 and later crushed Ajan Jayant 11-2, 11-2, 11-3 to reach the quarter finals of the Inter-Schools SBI-MSSA Squash tournament that got under way at Cricket Club of India yesterday.

The 12 year old got a dream start to the inaugural edition of the tournament by knocking out both his opponents inside 15 minutes. “I was confident enough about winning and restrained myself from committing any unforced error,” said Abhishek.

The Don Bosco (Borivali) player is yards away from his competitors with the exception of Mahesh Mangaonkar. He has already pocketed the Chennai U-13 National Squash Open in 2005 and was second in the Scottish Open at Edinburgh.

“I want to win the British Open this year and visit Pakistan. After all, legends like Jansher Khan and Jahangir Khan come from Pakistan, “ said Abhishek.

“Abhishek has raw material that needs to be moulded well. He is intelligent, fit, powerful and hardworking,” said coach Amitoj Inder Singh.

“Mahesh used to beat Abhishek frequently, but from last year he has got the better of Mahesh.”

Singh went a step further in praise of Abhishek who is likely to meet Mahesh in the finals. “Abhishek and Mahesh are much better players than Ritwik Bhattacharya and Sourav Ghosal were at this age level.” In the boy’s under-11 and nine categories, leading players Ishaan Advani and Aviroop Ghosal recorded easy victories to advance into the third round. While Advani brushed aside Aditya Singh 11-3, 11-2, 11-3, Ghosal defeated Purav Mehta 11-2, 11-4, 11-9.

 

Squash joins the school sports family
(Article in Times of India, Mumbai : 10/2/2006)

Mumbai Schools Sports Association secretary Shaji Kuttiani wasn’t too concerned that entries for the first ever MSSA inter-school squash tournament didn’t top the hundred mark. “ We took a late decision to include squash in schools sports. Many schools sports. Many schools may not have had the time to plan it. But that’s what happens when we take a new sport.”

Eight five kids from 12 schools are taking part in the event being conducted on behalf of MSSA by Indian Squash  Professionals.

Kuttiani said the association had taken a new sport in after nearly four years Squash is  the 19th discipline conducted by the body. Shaji was confident the numbers would increase. “Judo,  which concluded on Wednesday, had 600 entries. Taekwondo is next in line. We will take a decision later in the year.”

The Airtel schools event also conducted by the ISP at Khar Gymkhana, had over 250 entries. There were over 200 schoolkids, the rest being junior college players. The bigger number is because it was a West Zone event and they had under-17 and under 19 groups also.

Here there are under-11, 13 and 15. The rreason for lower numbers is that not all the schools of the players who played in the earlier event are affiliated to the MSSA. For example Jindal, from Vasind who alone had about 60 players.

Of the matches on quarter final day, No.2 seed in the under-15, Sanmeet Singh was put out by Aatish Chhabria 11-9, 7-11, 5-11, 11-7, 11-4. Another No.2 to bow out was Don Bosco’s Kunj Rawani who lost to Aviroop Ghosal, ranked one rung lower. Kunj has been doing well at the under-9 level but he has been pitted in the 9-11 group.

 

Nayar sends Merchant packing
Ankita extends her-to-head win count over Sachika

(Article in Indian Express, Mumbai : 11/2/2006)

Top see Pranay Merchant of Bombay International and second seed Sachika Balwani of Bombay Scottish were the biggest casualties in the semi finals of the SBI MSSA first Inter Schools Squash Tournament, at CCI on Friday.

While Pranay Merchant lost in five games to unseeded Viraj Nayar of Bombay International, the fancied Sachika lost to her long time nemesis Ankita Sharma Arya Vidya Mandir. Sachika and Ankita have been involed in quite a few close matches on court for the past two years or so, but of late Ankita seems to be getting the better of her fancied opponents more often than not.

In the semi finals, Ankita won 11-5, 12-10, 11-6 to set up a title clash with top seed Saumya Karki of Hiranandani Foundation, who was taken the distance by schoolmate Shreya Khatri before winning 11-5, 5-11, 11-6, 5-11, 1-8.

Merchant, who took the first two games at a canter, winning 11-6, 11-8, was taken by surprise by the grit and gumption of Viraj, who just refused to buckle down. The top seed lost the fourth game 7-11 and sadly gave up the contest in the decider losing it 1-11. In the final, Viraj will take on St. Mary’s ICSE’s Ness Billimoria.

 

Saumya’s tryst with history
(Article in Mid-Day, Mumbai : 12/2/2006)

Over a one and half hour drive from Thane to Cricket Club of India (near the Churchgate station) proved pleasant for Hiranandani Foundation student Saumya Karki after she defeated Ankita Sharma of Arya Vidya Mandir (Juhu) 3-1 (11-8, 11-4, 15-17, 11-4) yesterday.

The win ensured that Saumya became first girl to clinch the MSSA-SBI interschool squash tournament yesterday.

Saumya eased past Ankita in the first two games.

However, Ankita was inspired in the third game. Down 4-7, she came back to win 17-15 in a game that stretched for about half an hour. When it seemed the match would have a close finish, Saumya ended speculations by clinching the fourth game quite easily.

ALL’s well that ends well. After two one sided boy’s finals, the first edition of MSSA-SBI inter-school squash tournament ended with a thrilling encounter between Don Bosco (Borivali) students Abhishek Pradhan and Mahesh Mangaonkar.

Abhishek defeated Mahesh 3-2 (11-7, 6-11, 9-11, 11-8, 11-8) to claim the under-13 boy’s championship.

  

64th Tournament Organised by ISP