ISSO National Table Tennis and Cricket Champs Witness Massive Turnout in Ahmedabad
Over 400 table tennis players and 15 cricket teams competed at the ISSO National Championships in Ahmedabad, featuring Paralympic star Bhavina Ben.
The International Schools Sports Organisation (ISSO) has successfully concluded its National Table Tennis and Under-19 Boys Cricket Championships at the Adani International School in Ahmedabad. The event served as a massive platform for young sporting talent, drawing in more than 400 table tennis players and 15 cricket teams from various parts of India.
Inspiration from Paralympic Hero Bhavina Ben
The championships kicked off with a surge of energy, graced by the presence of Bhavinaben Patel, India’s renowned Paralympic silver medalist in table tennis. As the first Indian to win a Paralympic medal in the sport during the Tokyo 2020 Games, her journey of resilience provided a profound source of motivation for the young athletes gathered in Ahmedabad.
Table Tennis: Schools and Individuals Shine
The National Table Tennis Championship, which ran from October 8 to 11, featured intense competition across Under-14, Under-17, and Under-19 categories for both boys and girls. The tournament included both team-based and individual showdowns.
Team Champions
- Boys' Team Winners:
- Under-14: CHIREC International School, Hyderabad
- Under-17: Dhirubhai Ambani International School, Mumbai
- Under-19: DPS International School, Gurugram
- Girls' Team Winners:
- Under-14: Inventure Academy, Bengaluru
- Under-17: Heritage Xperiential Learning School, Gurugram
- Under-19: Pathways School, Noida
Individual Gold Medalists
The individual categories saw remarkable skill from the following young paddlers:
- U14: Ishaan Goyal (Boys) and Aarna Sahney (Girls), both from Jayshree Periwal Global School.
- U17: Aman George Thomas (Boys) of Vidyashilp Academy and Ishana Babu (Girls) of Rose Manor International.
- U19: Nimay Gogia (Boys) of DPS International, Gurugram, and Mahi Kejriwal (Girls) of Bombay International School.
Cricket: Inventure Academy Takes the Crown
In the Under-19 Boys Cricket Championship, 15 school teams battled for national supremacy. Inventure Academy, Bengaluru, emerged as the undisputed champions. They were followed by Indus International School, Hyderabad, who finished as runners-up, while Saint MSG Glorious International School secured the third position.
A Vision for India's Sporting Future
The closing ceremony was attended by Shri Kunal, Joint Secretary (Sports Development) at the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Government of India. While presenting awards to the merit holders, he highlighted the potential of the participants.
"The athletes competing at these championships today could well be India's Olympians in 2036. Keep the momentum high, continue playing sports and remain committed to your journey. Winning and losing are part of the game, but discipline, consistency and perseverance will take you forward," said Shri Kunal.
Gaurav Dixit, Founding Director of ISSO, emphasized that the organization has spent the last 11 years building a structured ecosystem for school sports. He noted that the rising participation reflects growing confidence in their vision, while Aakanksha Thapak, Director of ISSO, expressed gratitude to the hosts and the guest of honors for inspiring the next generation of Indian athletes.