Goa’s veteran paddler Deepak Gopani delivered a landmark performance at the 32nd National Masters Table Tennis Championships held in Pune, clinching a historic bronze medal in the Men’s 55+ singles category.
Leading a contingent of around 25 Goan players, Deepak topped a tough group featuring Suchit Kumar Chaturvedi (IA&AD) and Srinivas Matur Rao (Telangana), defeating both 3“2 to progress.
He then went on to beat Chandigarh's Sanjay Laheja 3“0 in the Round of 32, followed by a hard-fought 3“2 win over Gujarat’s Shagun Sutaria in the Round of 16. In the crucial quarterfinal, Deepak staged a strong comeback to defeat Maharashtra’s Atmaram Gangarde 3“1 to secure a podium finish.
His impressive campaign also included a key team event victory over Delhi’s Anil Jajoo (3“1), which set the tone for his run. In the semi-final, he put up a spirited fight before going down 1“3 to Maharashtra’s Ravindra Joshi.
