Samant shines at state TT meet

City paddler Sharveya Samant receives a cheque of R4,200 for winning the Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament boys U-19 title in Dombivli recently. PIC/Samant`s personal collection

Sharveya Samant, 16, of The Suburban Table Tennis Association (TSTTA), Mumbai, is elated to have won his first individual gold medal in the boys U-19 at the recently-concluded Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament at the Salvaram Sankul Stadium, Dombivli. In the final, Sharveya defeated Pune's Neil Mulye 4-3, while in the semi-final he registered a 3-0 win over Kushal Chopda of Nashik. In the quarter-final, he got the better of Mumbai's Vineet Deepak 3-1.

Sharveya, a Class 12 student of MMK College, Bandra, said the win is exceptional considering he will appear for his board exams this year. "I am really happy [to finally win an individual gold at the state level]. Though I have won three gold medals earlier in team events and 25 plus medals overall in different age groups, winning an individual medal at the state level in the U-19 category is really special. That too, is when I am preparing for my board exams. It's hectic to juggle studies and training but I am able to manage as I had a similar schedule during Class 10 and also managed to get 95 per cent," Sharveya, who trains under Noel Pinto at Prabodhankar Thackeray Krida Sankul in Vile Parle, told mid-day.com.

Meanwhile, the Goregaon resident plans to continue playing till a month before his Class 12 exams begin. "I know that studies are important, but I do not want to take a break from TT for a year. At the same time, I want to finish my studies too. Since I am not fond of science, I opted for commerce. I will take a break from sports only a month or so before my board exams. I aim to represent India someday. Lastly, I would like to thank my family and everyone at my college who has supported me in my journey," he remarked.