EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, Mar 8: Nine time state champion, who held the India No 8 ranking in junior group, Manmeet Kour today clinched the second bronze medal for Jammu and Kashmir after she lost to a Maharashtrian opponent in the semi-finals of women's Plus-40 year individual competitions of ongoing 17th J&K Bank National Veteran Table Tennis Championship at Indoor Complex, M A Stadium, here.
Manmeet played superb game in the lost semi-final, stretched to four sets. against Mangala Saraf of Maharashtra. The Score (in favour of Mangala): 11-9, 11-9, 12-14, 11-6.
Earlier, in the quarterfinals, Manmeet trounced Manzri in straight sets to confirm her berth in the semi-finals ensuring bronze medal. The first bronze won by J&K was in Men's Plus 40 year team event.
"Playing after a long time, I'm taking part in any competition after a gap of 18 years. The last competition I played was in 1992. It was due to the support of my in-laws that I have been able to make come back in the game," said Manmeet talking to reporters.
Encouraged by her performance, Manmeet has decided to continue in the game at least in veteran events. A teacher by profession, Manmeet is presently serving at Government Higher Secondary School, Bakshi Nagar.
In the meantime, Manmeet, playing with Pankaj Sharma of Punjab has also made it into the semi-finals of mixed doubles event thus ensuring another medal for herself.
However, the mixed pair of J&K, Renuka Aima and Satbir Singh lost in the quarterfinals to opponents from Mahar-ashtra.
Punjab's Pankaj played for J&K
Pankaj Sharma, who was instrumental in bronze victory of hosts in the men's team event of Plus 40 year group, belongs to Punjab, not J&K. In fact, he was requested to play for J&K in the team event. After the team event was over, Pankaj played his other open events of men's singles for his home state of Punjab.
Serving with Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), Pankaj was Ajay's partner when India won the men's doubles gold in the World Veteran Table Tennis Championships.
But both have not played together in the ongoing championship.
The Detailed Results
Plus 40 years men's singles pre-quarterfinals: Sunil Kelkar (Maharashtra) lost to Vive Kohli (UP) 8-11, 7-11, 6-11; Suneshwar Dekha (Assam) bt Arun Cyril (Karnatka) 11-8, 11-7, 11-8; Rajesh Madan (Maharashtra) bt Satbir Singh (J&K) 11-9, 11-3, 11-7; Heera Goswami (MP) bt R Ramachandran (TN) 11-9, 11-8, 11-6; P Mankad (Maharashtra) bt Sanjeev Pathak (MP) 11-8, 11-9, 12-10; Vivek Alwani bt Jayant Mondal (West Bengal) 11-3, 11-2, 11-1; Vivek Arora (West Bengal) bt Suresh Pasi (MP) 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 13-11; Pankaj Sharma (Punjab) bt basak Choudhary (Maharashtra) 11-6, 11-6, 9-11, 9-11, 11-7.
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