~ Asuntha Fleming wins tournament treble; grabs ladies singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles
~ Bandodkar family doing a tremendous job in promoting sports and nurturing talent, said Chief Minister Pramod Sawant at the tourney’s concluding event.
Nagesh Naik’s all-round brilliance was on full display as he teamed up with Asuntha Fleming to clinch the mixed doubles title on the concluding day of the Bandodkar Panjim Gymkhana Tennis Open 2025, beating siblings Aishwarya and Siddharth Nunes 6-2, 6-1 in a one-sided final. The state-ranking tournament also featured a segment for wheelchair-bound tennis players.
Asuntha went on to win a tournament treble, partnering with Aastha Dua to claim the ladies doubles title with a commanding 6-2, 6-2 win over Raisa Menezes and Poojal Naik. Fleming sealed her third title of the tournament with a commanding 6-1, 6-2 victory over Tithee Bhoomkar in the ladies singles final.
In the men’s singles final, Santosh Gorawar was ruthless in a 6-0, 6-4 dismantling of his opponent Prince D’Silva.
In the tournament’s Wheelchair Tennis Challenger, Stany D’Souza and Melvin Mendes put in a sharp performance to defeat Vinod Kumbhar and Niklesh Pednekar 4-2 in a mini-set final.
In the men’s doubles final, Mano Chhabra and Bulu delivered a solid performance to defeat the pair of Santosh Gorawar and Raju Kundaikar 6-4, 6-1. Meanwhile, in the finals of the masters 45+ singles category, Dmitry Smirnov skillfully outplayed Caetano Fernandes 6-4, 6-1 to secure the title.
The other winners of the tournament’s various categories were Kyan Mavany, who clinched the boys u-14 crown, while Tvisha Sardesai dominated both the girls u-14 and u-18 events, winning them both. Shreyas Patil emerged champion in the boys u-18, Devaansh Naik took home the boys u-10 title and Samaira Patil edged out the competition in the girls U-10 final. Among the masters winners, Manoj Pandey triumphed in the 55+ men’s singles, while the doubles honours went to Sanjay Lotlikar and David Mendonsa in the same category and to Sachin Dukle and Kevin Rebelo in the 45+ men’s doubles event.
At the tournament’s concluding event, the prize distribution ceremony, which was attended by Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant, the latter lauded the family of Goa’s first chief minister, the late Dayanand Bandodkar, represented by the Goa State Tennis Association headed by Sameer Kakodkar, for their dedication towards promoting sports.
“While the Government of Goa can play a crucial role by providing basic infrastructure and equipment, the real responsibility of promoting and growing the sport lies with dedicated associations. That’s where the Bandodkar family stands out — they’re doing a tremendous job in building awareness, organising events and nurturing young talent. For tennis to thrive, we need more such initiatives that create consistent opportunities at the grassroots level,” said Sawant.
The state-level ranking event that kicked off from April 4 at the Panjim Gymkhana courts, honours the legacy of late Dayanand Bandodkar. Kakodkar is Dayanand Bandodkar’s grandson.
The Bandodkar Panjim Gymkhana Tennis Open 2025 received a record 266 entries, making it the largest-ever turnout for an All-Goa tennis tournament.
