[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Dear BC who wrote, Hi Augusto, Thanks for the fantastic input about the Kowalkar defensive play (pimple out rubber), and the various racquet material you have mentioned. Luis Tavora was SS Dempo he was my classmate. Regarding which college Luis Tavora belonged to, I concede that I must have made a terrible mistake, because as you say Luis Tavora was from SS Dempo College, as he was your classmate there. Actually it is a shameful mistake to make on my part because Luis and his elder brother Carlos Tavora studied at the same school as me, St Anthony's H. S. Monte de Guirim, although possibly a couple of years older to me. And to add to this, I happen to be on the staff of Dempo College now, and could have easily confirmed the facts had I not been so lazy. And the shame is further compounded by the fact that whenever I go to one of Luis's shops, he never fails to give me a discount if he is around, even though I never ask him to do so ;-) - other goanet businesspeople had better get the hint. Cheers Augusto P.S. BC, don't you think people like you and Luis and Aditya Tarcar and Prasad Kirtani should be part of a Dempo College Alumni Association? What would you say about having a mailing list of ex-Dempo College students who could reconnect with old classmates or college mates? If I mistake not even FN was at Dempo College, although I wonder whether he attended classes given that he had joined the Herald around that time. I know that Selma Cardoso now Carvalho who has just come out with a tremendous book 'In the Diaspora Wilderness' was an ex-student but perhaps much later than you. -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal, Moira, Bardez, Goa, India E pinto...@gmail.com or ypinto...@yahoo.co.in P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350 * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Hi Naguesh, Lampiao und Joel, Thanks for the corrections and other names that you have added to the list. Audrey Casmiro I think was a Miss Goa, Fatima Pinto do Rosario was another good player from Porvorim. As for Pandit and Susan if I am allowed to write, was more mog and fog rather than the TT.:))) Christopher Menezes, Kirtani and Tavora represented SS Dempo and won inter collegiate champrionships for many years. BC I I stuck more to Badminton at the Indoor Stadium, but never at a competitive level!! I do remember a lot of the players you mentioned and some more. I think you forgot the stylish Nazareth Gracias, Mhambro -- Deepa's brother, I think. Then there were the Verlekars and the comical Talak from Margao, Audrey Casmiro, Asha Dubashi, Nitin Usgaonkar -Vero's buddy. Wasn't there a Pinto De Rosario from Porvorim? Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com Christopher de Melocorrection, Christopher Menezes of Fontanais. Aside from biting on firm but soft boiled jack fruit seeds in the afternoon and listening to men folk roll the dice (tabl-a khel) in the monsoons, the table tennis and the two football tournaments at the MPT ground in Bina-Vasco were the big entertainers. There was no tv then. Aside from Vero, the cool Pandit, Aditya...there was Talak (now one of them concrete builders in Mudgao) was was the joker of the lot. He never made it too far but was a joker and great entertainment value. He usually got to the focused Nunes irritated with his antics. One year, at the MPT Institute in Vasco, the tournament was a national invitation. It was great to watch local against outstation playersone particular g'tman from Delhi who played a simple, slow gamealmost irritating to watch, beat Nunes ( I think in the quarters) and finally lost to Pandit. In the womens, there was Deepa Mambre, Rashmi Rao, the lovely Ms.Pinto Rozario...and the former c^baret dancer (forget her name) from Madgao. The meaty lady was a delight to all of us young table tennis fanshold it, lest say just fans.who cared about table tennis after she bent forward to receive a serve! Gotta go...I always feel the side glances of the lady's husbandwho sat watchfully table-side!!! ote: Hi Bernado, Thanks. You brought back memories flooding when you recalled the table tennis tourneys of the Seventies. On his 50th birthday last week, I reminded Armando Gonsalves (Heritage Jazz) about his mother Aduzinda accompanying him and his sister Rita to every tournament venue. He agreed that his mother was the force behind him and his sister, insisting that they learn to play the piano... and accompanying them for the tt tournaments wherever they were held - Panjim, Vasco, Margao and Cansaulim. Remember Vero testing the ping pong balls, and virtually discarding boxes of them before he could fine the right one. Among the girls, there was Teresa Sequeira too. Susanna, of course, was a treat to watch, and always had Subhash Pandit for the doubles partner. Was it Nazareth, who was the best TT player at that time? Regards. Joel.
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
To Goanet - I see no mention of my childhood friend and classmate Dr. Rajeev Sardesai, who passed away in an accident in Mumbai in 1988. I recall Raju as an ace TT player. There were a couple of Maganlals, too. r
[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Hi r, Thanks for the addition. I think Vivek Ghanekar and Vasant Karapurkar also played in the tournaments. BC To Goanet - I see no mention of my childhood friend and classmate Dr. Rajeev Sardesai, who passed away in an accident in Mumbai in 1988. I recall Raju as an ace TT player. There were a couple of Maganlals, too. r * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Bernado Colaco wrote: Audrey Casmiro I think was a Miss Goa. That's true, and later a top model in Mumbai. But Audrey used to play in the late 70s whereas people like Elma da Cunha was a champion in the early years of the decade. Fatima Pinto do Rosario who Colaco writes,was another good player from Porvorim, was so-so if I recall correctly, and didn't win anything much. If I mistake not, she is now Fatima D'Sa the ex-MLA. Deepa Mhambrey now Awchat, was the big champion after Elma who swept away everyone else. Incidentally she is now the owner of the famous Goa Portuguesa restaurant in Mumbai. Incidentally, I remember Prasad Kirtani playing for Dempo College but not Luis Tavora (who I thought was at Dhempe Arts and Science.) Luis honed his skills at St Anthony's H. S. Monte de Guirim, whereas Aditya Tarcar was a People's H. S. player and definitely was Dempo's star player when they won inter collegiate champrionships for many years. After the early 70s when table tennis peaked in popularity, it slowly stopped being a very popular sport, and nowadays there are comparatively fewer active players compared to then. I think one reason for this was that in the days when Vishnu and Subhash Kolwalkar were champions all the players used more or less similar equipment of fairly simple bats covered with pimples. So there was a level playing field. But then the richer players, mainly from Panjim, began importing quite sophisticated Butterfly, and then Stiga bats with Yasaka Mark V rubbers from abroad which could impart a terrific amount of speed and spin which the Indian bats which could simply not handle, and that was what the village children could afford. That and the fact that Panjim had a very good coach in the form of B.S. Chavat who knew to systematically train players, meant kids from rural areas could not compete with them so they stopped playing competitively. While good equipment and training is essential to progress at the national level, I think any sport requires a critical mass of numbers if it is to throw up good players and this became a problem, as village Goa ceased to be interested in table tennis. A similar thing happened with badminton as only the wealthy could afford the super light Yonex racquets. A curious exception among indoor games is chess which hardly had much of a following in the 60s and 70s but has now grown fairly popular. But by and large, nowadays its another world altogether of course, as it is the mobile phones, computers and bikes that kids prefer playing with, rather than table tennis or badminton. -- Augusto Pinto 40, Novo Portugal, Moira, Bardez, Goa, India E pinto...@gmail.com or ypinto...@yahoo.co.in P 0832-2470336 M 9881126350 * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
BC, PL, Joel, We all missed the Kolwalkar brothers, Vishnu and Subhash. Vishnu initially, was like a 'returning machine', wearing down his opponents with his returns and used to even play with that simple wooden racket without sponge! Then there was that famous Mrs. Vimal Kamat from Margao. I think that the crowds gave her a hard time, with their comments. Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 03:22:32 + From: ole_...@yahoo.co.uk Hi Naguesh, Lampiao und Joel, Thanks for the corrections and other names that you have added to the list. Audrey Casmiro I think was a Miss Goa, Fatima Pinto do Rosario was another good player from Porvorim. As for Pandit and Susan if I am allowed to write, was more mog and fog rather than the TT.:))) Christopher Menezes, Kirtani and Tavora represented SS Dempo and won inter collegiate champrionships for many years. BC * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Augusto, In response to your statement below, I must say that I was pleasantly surprised to see that the Indoor Stadium at Campal, was filled with players and those waiting to play Badminton, when I visited it a couple of times, in 2008. It was not the case in the 80s, when often, I had to return home, after waiting for any playing partner to turn up for an hour! But by and large, nowadays its another world altogether of course, as it is the mobile phones, computers and bikes that kids prefer playing with, rather than table tennis or badminton. Roshan Lal Nahar was the coach in the 70s and 80s and he used to put us through the grind with an iron hand! Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com Date: Wed, 21 Jul 2010 21:27:43 +0530 From: pinto...@gmail.com To: goanet@lists.goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies But by and large, nowadays its another world altogether of course, as it is the mobile phones, computers and bikes that kids prefer playing with, rather than table tennis or badminton. -- Augusto Pinto * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Hi Augusto, Thanks for the fantastic input about the Kowalkar defensive play (pimple out rubber), and the various racquet material you have mentioned. Luis Tavora was SS Dempo he was my classmate. Regards BC Incidentally, I remember Prasad Kirtani playing for Dempo College but not Luis Tavora (who I thought was at Dhempe Arts and Science.) Luis honed his skills at St Anthony's H. S. Monte de Guirim, whereas Aditya Tarcar was a People's H. S. player and definitely was Dempo's star player when they won inter collegiate champrionships for many years. * * * Read Selma Carvalho's warmly-received book *Into the Diaspora Wilderness*, a journey through Goan life in Africa, the Gulf, England and North America ... gripping and well-told real-life stories. See http://selmacarvalho.squarespace.com/ Buy in Goa via Broadway Book Centre, Panjim. Ph 9822488564. * * *
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Hi Bernado, Thanks. You brought back memories flooding when you recalled the table tennis tourneys of the Seventies. On his 50th birthday last week, I reminded Armando Gonsalves (Heritage Jazz) about his mother Aduzinda accompanying him and his sister Rita to every tournament venue. He agreed that his mother was the force behind him and his sister, insisting that they learn to play the piano... and accompanying them for the tt tournaments wherever they were held - Panjim, Vasco, Margao and Cansaulim. Remember Vero testing the ping pong balls, and virtually discarding boxes of them before he could fine the right one. Among the girls, there was Teresa Sequeira too. Susanna, of course, was a treat to watch, and always had Subhash Pandit for the doubles partner. Was it Nazareth, who was the best TT player at that time? Regards. Joel.
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
BC, I was pleasantly surprised at the statement below! were the few who came through the ranks. GNetter Naguesh Bhatcar and N. Thakur were other competition participants. There is a bit of correction to be made on that count. It was not me but Narayan Bhatcar, a friend of Vivek Angle, who used to compete! I used to be more of spectator than a player! I stuck more to Badminton at the Indoor Stadium, but never at a competitive level!! I do remember a lot of the players you mentioned and some more. I think you forgot the stylish Nazareth Gracias, Mhambro -- Deepa's brother, I think. Then there were the Verlekars and the comical Talak from Margao, Audrey Casmiro, Asha Dubashi, Nitin Usgaonkar -Vero's buddy. Wasn't there a Pinto De Rosario from Porvorim? Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:05:10 + From: ole_...@yahoo.co.uk To: goanet@lists.goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies In the seventies I remember while the frogs came out to play in the monsoons the Among the girls it was the Custom girls Deepa Mhambre and Elma da Cunha doing battle. Susan da Sousa sister of Yolanda (artist and now German) was an other good player. BC
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Christopher de Melocorrection, Christopher Menezes of Fontanais. Aside from biting on firm but soft boiled jack fruit seeds in the afternoon and listening to men folk roll the dice (tabl-a khel) in the monsoons, the table tennis and the two football tournaments at the MPT ground in Bina-Vasco were the big entertainers. There was no tv then. Aside from Vero, the cool Pandit, Aditya...there was Talak (now one of them concrete builders in Mudgao) was was the joker of the lot. He never made it too far but was a joker and great entertainment value. He usually got to the focused Nunes irritated with his antics. One year, at the MPT Institute in Vasco, the tournament was a national invitation. It was great to watch local against outstation playersone particular g'tman from Delhi who played a simple, slow gamealmost irritating to watch, beat Nunes ( I think in the quarters) and finally lost to Pandit. In the womens, there was Deepa Mambre, Rashmi Rao, the lovely Ms.Pinto Rozario...and the former c^baret dancer (forget her name) from Madgao. The meaty lady was a delight to all of us young table tennis fanshold it, lest say just fans.who cared about table tennis after she bent forward to receive a serve! Gotta go...I always feel the side glances of the lady's husbandwho sat watchfully table-side!!! ote: Hi Bernado, Thanks. You brought back memories flooding when you recalled the table tennis tourneys of the Seventies. On his 50th birthday last week, I reminded Armando Gonsalves (Heritage Jazz) about his mother Aduzinda accompanying him and his sister Rita to every tournament venue. He agreed that his mother was the force behind him and his sister, insisting that they learn to play the piano... and accompanying them for the tt tournaments wherever they were held - Panjim, Vasco, Margao and Cansaulim. Remember Vero testing the ping pong balls, and virtually discarding boxes of them before he could fine the right one. Among the girls, there was Teresa Sequeira too. Susanna, of course, was a treat to watch, and always had Subhash Pandit for the doubles partner. Was it Nazareth, who was the best TT player at that time? Regards. Joel.
Re: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
Wasn't there a Pinto De Rosario from Porvorim? She is the daughter (forget the first name) of the famous mat doktor (Pint-Ruzar Ospital).. was always elegantly dressed...in black pants and if memory is on the dot, she even made those 'tennis player' like noises. We'd turn up early if she was playing the round but she often didn't show!!! She was a bawli on the circuit while the mausi from Madgao was straight off a Debonair centre fold!!! However, the one who was most irritated by the cat-calls from young followers of the women's TT was definitely Rita Gonsalves and Rashmi Rao. Sweet entertainment! Mambro (Suresh) never played or was it another Mambro. It was Deepa who was the outstanding one and I cannot visually forget her expression-less demeanor. On the circuit, there was a lot of innuendo and some gossip; there were the style-consious heros who never got beyond the quarter finals and there were ones who were focused, like Pandit and Nunes. So many memories. I bet you table tennis is not the same anymore. On Tue, Jul 20, 2010 at 10:00 AM, Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com wrote: BC, I was pleasantly surprised at the statement below! were the few who came through the ranks. GNetter Naguesh Bhatcar and N. Thakur were other competition participants. There is a bit of correction to be made on that count. It was not me but Narayan Bhatcar, a friend of Vivek Angle, who used to compete! I used to be more of spectator than a player! I stuck more to Badminton at the Indoor Stadium, but never at a competitive level!! I do remember a lot of the players you mentioned and some more. I think you forgot the stylish Nazareth Gracias, Mhambro -- Deepa's brother, I think. Then there were the Verlekars and the comical Talak from Margao, Audrey Casmiro, Asha Dubashi, Nitin Usgaonkar -Vero's buddy. Wasn't there a Pinto De Rosario from Porvorim? Naguesh Bhatcar sgbhat...@hotmail.com Date: Tue, 20 Jul 2010 03:05:10 + From: ole_...@yahoo.co.uk To: goanet@lists.goanet.org Subject: [Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies In the seventies I remember while the frogs came out to play in the monsoons the Among the girls it was the Custom girls Deepa Mhambre and Elma da Cunha doing battle. Susan da Sousa sister of Yolanda (artist and now German) was an other good player. BC
[Goanet] Table Tennis in the seventies
In the seventies I remember while the frogs came out to play in the monsoons the lads and lasses would indulge in paddling. Panjim Gymkhana was probably the cradle of Table Tennis in Goa. Then the top two seeds were Subash Pandit and Vero Nunes. I remember in one pulsating cup final Pandit had to take a breather from the game because of high stress levels. He was losing to Vero but came back to win. There was almost a whiff of communal support in this match. Both these players were kind of mentors to the younger players. GNetters maybe surprised to know that Armando Goncalves of Jazz Goa was a number one seed for the juniors until the arrival of young Aditya Tarcar. Vivek Anglo of Anglo Sports was Tarcar's rival and their matches was like a battle between the bramaneka families. With the arrival of the Indoor Stadium in Campal (probably the only best thing in this 49 year old regime) and an NIS coach more young players were born. Luis Tavora (Imelda Tavora), Prasad Kirtani, Christopher de Melo, Dhiresh Maganlal were the few who came through the ranks. GNetter Naguesh Bhatcar and N. Thakur were other competition participants. In Panjim Clube Vasco da Gama, Clube Nacional and Don Bosco Oratory use to hold sesasonal tournaments. Competitions used to be held in Margao, Vasco, and Cansaulim. Among the girls it was the Custom girls Deepa Mhambre and Elma da Cunha doing battle. Susan da Sousa sister of Yolanda (artist and now German) was an other good player. BC
