PRASHANT MORE, SAMRUDDHI GHADIGAONKAR TOP
THE SEEDINGS AT WILLINGDON CATHOLIC GYMKHANA CARROM CHAMPIONSHIP
A total of 342 players to compete in the
Maharashtra State Ranking Tournament from November 14;
₹1.10 lakh prize money at stake
Mumbai: Precision, tactical brilliance and nerves of steel will take
centre stage as Maharashtra’s leading carrom players assemble at the
prestigious Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana for its inaugural State Ranking Carrom
Championship. After a gap of nearly four decades, the Gymkhana is once again
hosting a major state-level carrom tournament, attracting an impressive 342
participants across the men’s and women’s singles categories. Reigning
World Champion Prashant More of Mumbai has been awarded the top seeding
in the men’s section, while Samruddhi Ghadigaonkar of Thane leads the
women’s field. With the competition scheduled from November 14 to 16, the
championship promises three days of intense battles, exceptional skill and
high-quality carrom.
A Grand Return to State-Level Carrom After
40 Years
The Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana had
organised an invitational state-level carrom tournament nearly 40 years ago.
The present championship marks its return to hosting a major state-ranking
event. The overwhelming response, with 342 entries from across Maharashtra,
reflects the growing competitive interest in the sport and the importance of
providing established and emerging players with quality platforms to showcase
their talent.
Prashant More Leads the Men's Singles
Seedings
Mumbai's Prashant More, the reigning
World Champion, has secured the No. 1 seeding in the men's singles category.
Pune's Abhijit Tripankar has been seeded second, followed by Thane's Zaid
Ahmed at third and Mumbai's Mohammed Ghufran at fourth.
The top eight men's seeds are:
- Prashant More – Mumbai,
2.
Abhijit Tripankar – Pune, 3. Zaid Ahmed – Thane, 4. Mohammed Ghufran –
Mumbai, 5. Nilansh Chiplunkar – Mumbai, 6. Rahim Khan – Pune, 7. Sagar
Waghmare – Pune, 8. Sandeep Dive – Thane
With strong representation from Mumbai, Pune
and Thane, the men's singles competition is expected to produce closely
contested encounters. All eyes will be on top seed More as he faces the
challenge of maintaining his standing against a competitive field.
Samruddhi Ghadigaonkar Heads the Women's
Singles Field
Thane's Samruddhi Ghadigaonkar has
earned the No. 1 seeding in the women's singles category. Her district-mate Madhura
Deole occupies the second position, while Shruti Sonawane of Palghar
is seeded third and Kesar Nirgun of Sindhudurg fourth.
The top eight women's seeds are:
- Samruddhi Ghadigaonkar – Thane, 2. Madhura Deole – Thane, 3.
Shruti Sonawane – Palghar, 4. Kesar Nirgun – Sindhudurg, 5. Sonali Kumari
– Mumbai, 6. Akanksha Kadam – Ratnagiri, 7. Aisha Sajid Khan – Mumbai, 8. Prajakta
Narayankar – Mumbai
The presence of players from Thane, Mumbai,
Palghar, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri underlines the geographical spread of women's
carrom talent in Maharashtra. The competition is expected to be particularly
keen among the leading seeds.
Men's Matches to Begin on November 14;
Women's Action on November 15
The championship will commence on Saturday,
November 14, 2026, at 9 a.m., with matches in the men's singles category.
The women's singles matches are scheduled to begin on the afternoon of Sunday,
November 15. The three-day tournament will bring together leading players
from across the state, with every round expected to test their precision,
consistency and match temperament.
Live Streaming and Commentary in Three
Languages
In an initiative to extend the reach of the
championship beyond the venue, important matches will be live-streamed on
the official YouTube channel of the Maharashtra Carrom Association.
Experienced commentators Kishor Wagle and Mandar Barde will provide
commentary in Marathi, Hindi and English. This multilingual coverage
will enable carrom enthusiasts across the country to follow the key encounters
and enjoy the action live.
Experienced Officials to Oversee Tournament
Operations
The Maharashtra Carrom Association has
appointed an experienced technical and officiating team to ensure the smooth
and fair conduct of the championship. International umpire Ajit Sawant
has been appointed Chief Umpire, while State-level umpire Yogesh Sawant will
serve as Assistant Chief Umpire. International umpire Ketan Chikhale
will take charge as Technical Director, and Arun Kedar will serve as the
Tournament Director.
₹1.10 Lakh in Prize Money; Gymkhana
Facilities for Participants
The Willingdon Catholic Gymkhana will offer
a total prize purse of ₹1.10 lakh, with cash awards for the successful participants. The Gymkhana
will also extend the facilities available at its premises to participating
players, umpires and officials throughout the tournament. The arrangements
underline the organisers' commitment to providing a comfortable and
professionally managed competitive environment.
Olympians Joachim Carvalho and Mervyn
Fernandes Share Details
The details of the championship were
announced by Olympian Joachim Carvalho, Honorary Sports Secretary, and Olympian
Mervyn Fernandes, Joint Sports Secretary of the Willingdon Catholic
Gymkhana. Their initiative and the Gymkhana's decision to host the championship
have provided a significant platform for the promotion of competitive carrom in
Maharashtra.
With World Champion Prashant More
leading the men's draw and Samruddhi Ghadigaonkar heading the women's
challenge, the stage is set for an exciting championship. A strong field of 342
competitors, experienced officials, live coverage and an attractive prize purse
make this inaugural State Ranking event a significant occasion on Maharashtra's
carrom calendar.
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