Neil Mule corners sub-juniors title

Pune’s upcoming talent Neil Mule exhibited tremendous resilience and played with plenty of determination as he dished out some sterling performances, to clinch the sub-junior boy’s singles crown in the Dr. Ramesh Prabhoo Memorial 82nd Maharashtra State Table Tennis Championship organised by The Suburban District Table Tennis Association.

In the final, which was contested between left-handers, witnessed a tough battle for supremacy before Neil managed to prevail over Amish Athavle of Nanded in seven games pulling through at 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9, at the Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul, Vile Parle, Mumbai on Monday. Results

Boys (Sub-junior; Qfs): Kushal Patel (TSTTA) bt Udit Sachdev (THN) bt 117, 7-11 11-2, 11-8; Neil Mule (PNA) bt Gaurav Panchangam (THN) 13-11, 11-9, 11-4; Amish Athavle (NDD) bt Swastik Atnikar (THN) 4-11, 11-8, 11-8, 3-11, 11-9; Kushal Chopda (NSK) bt Sanskar Bask (TSTTA) 11-7, 11-6, 14-12. Semi-finals: Neil Mule (PNA) bt Kushal Patel (TSTTA) 2-11, 4-11, 11-13, 11-6, 11-9, 13-11, 11-5; Amish Athavle (NDD) bt Kushal Chopda (NSK) 3-11, 11-9, 11-8, 11-8, 6-11, 3-11, 11-6. Final: Neil Mule (PNA) bt Amish Athavle (NDD) 8-11, 11-5, 9-11, 11-4, 10-12, 11-2, 11-9. Third-fourth place: Kushal Chopda (NSK) beat Kushal Patel (TSTTA) 5-11, 12-10, 11-4, 12-10.