The top two seeds Ajay Meena and Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye, expectedly lifted the men’s and women’s singles crowns respectively in the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025, played at the CCI badminton courts.

Talented youngster Risha Parab the most promising player of the tournament receiving her award.

The number one seed, Meena, did well to quell the spirited challenge from Mumbai’s young talented player and second seed Harshit Mahimkar by romping to victory in two well-contested games 21-16, 21-15 in the men’s summit round.

Meanwhile, Mumbai’s undisputed badminton queen and top-seeded Bhatoye, was in complete control against second-seeded Shivani Herlekar and cruised to a 21-10, 21-12 success in the women’s final.

Bhatoye, had earlier defeated Thea Sheth in two quick games 21-10, 21-5, in the girls’ under-19 final and to finish with double titles.

Harshit reasserted his dominance over Anay Pingulkar as he strolled to a 21-15, 21-6 win to claim the boys’ under-19 final to seal his second triumph. He had earlier defeated Pingulkar in the boys’ under-17 final.

Risha Parab, who won the girls’ under-17 final was unable to complete the double. The top-seeded Risha went down fighting to second-seeded Anvisha Ghorpade in the girls’ under-15 contest. Anvisha rallied strongly to record a 19-21, 21-15, 21-14 verdict.

The CCI and GMBA declared Risha as the most promising player of the tournament. Risha was presented a trophy and a cash award.

Results – all finals:

Girls’ U-15 singles: 2-Anvisha Ghorpade bt 1-Risha Parab 19-21, 21-15, 21-14.

Girls’ U-19 singles: 1-Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye bt Thea Sheth 21-10, 21-5.

Boys’ U-15 singles: 1-Vikrant Singh Negi bt 2-Ruhaan Bhatia 22-20, 21-15.

Boys’ U-19 singles: 1-Harshit Mahimkar bt Anay Pingulkar 21-15, 21-6.

Women’s singles: 1-Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye bt 2-Shivani Herlekar 21-10, 21-12.

Men’s singles: 1-Ajay Meena bt 2-Harshit Mahimkar 21-16, 21-15.

The top two seeds Risha Parab and Harshit Mahimkar clinched the girls’ and boys’ under-17 singles crowns respectively in the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025, played at the CCI badminton courts.

The top two seeds Risha Parab (right) and Harshit Mahimkar clinched the girls’ and boys’ under-17 singles crowns respectively in the CCI- GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025.

In the girls’ final, the number one seed Risha faced quite a strong challenge from Rudra Gawde before coming out trumps recording a 21-15, 21-19 victory.

In the boys’ final, the top-seeded Harshit was in complete control against second seed Anay Pingulkar and raced to a quick 21-12, 21-7 victory with a degree of comfort.

Meanwhile, upcoming talent Vivaan Waingankar grabbed a grand double crown winning the boys’ under-11 and boys’ under-13 singles titles. In the under-11 final, Vivaan shocked second seed Vir Butani coasting to a 21-8, 21-2 win.

Later, Vivaan scored a bigger upset as he stunned top seed Kaveer Mehta in two games winning at 21-19, 21-16 in the under-13 final.

Results – Girls’ U-11 (finals): 1-Taara Patwardhan bt 2-Eman Choksi 21-16, 21-17.

Girls’ U-13 (finals): Shrawani Khairnar bt Aarna Chandak 21-18, 20-22, 21-13.

Girls’ U-17 (finals): 1-Risha Parab bt Rudra Gawde 21-15, 21-19.

Boys’ U-11 (finals): Vivaan Waingankar bt 2-Vir Butani 21-8, 21-2.

Boys’ U-13 (finals): Vivaan Waingankar bt 1-Kaveer Mehta 21-19, 21-16.

Boys’ U-17 (finals): 1-Harshit Mahimkar bt 2-Anay Pingulkar 21-12, 21-7.

Girls’U-15 (semi-finals): 1-Risha Parab bt Rudra Gawde 21-15, 21-14;

2-Anvisha Ghorpade bt Imaan Motorwala 21-11, 21-17.

Girls’ U-19 (semi-finals): Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye bt Vedika Kulkarni 21-7, 21-10;

Thea Sheth bt Devanshi Shinde 21-8, 12-21, 21-15.

Boys’ U-15 (semi-finals): 1-Vikrant Singh Negi bt 3-Kaveer Mehta 21-19, 21-10;

2-Ruhaan Bhatia bt Aarush Mittal 19-21, 21-7, 21-11.

Boys’ U-19 (semi-finals): 2-Akshat Raisurana bt Anay Pingulkar 21-12, 15-21, 21-17;

1-Harshit Mahimkar bt Durgesh Kandukuri 21-7, 21-10.

Men’s singles (semi-finals): 1-Ajay Meena bt Nigel D’Sa 23-21, 21-14; 2-Harshit Mahimkar bt Jaswinder Singh 21-13, 14-21, 21-16.

The top two seeds Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye and Shivani Herlekar took their appointed place in the women’s singles final of the CCI- GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025.

The undisputed queen of Mumbai District badminton and the top seed Bhatoye eased past unseeded Thea Sheth, cruising to a 21-9, 21-13 win in the first semi-final, at the CCI badminton courts.

Later, second seed Herlekar faced quite a strong challenge from unseeded Devanshi Shinde in the second semi-final. Herlekar had to bring out her best to overcome Devanshi Shinde by carving out a hard-fought three-game 24-22, 18-21, 24-22 victory.

In the girls’ U17 semi-finals, the number one seed and firm favourite staved off a spirited challenge from unseeded Rudra Gawde by recording a 21-17, 21-11 win to seal her place in the final.

Unseeded Imaan Motorwalla put up a solid, determined performance to knock out second seed Thea Sheth by posting a straight-game 21-8, 21-14 victory to set up a title clash with Risha.

Results – All semi-finals:

Girls’ U-11 singles: 1-Taara Patwardhan bt Myrah Reshamwala 21-8, 21-5; 2-Eman Choksi bt Lamiya Kapsi 21-8, 21-8.

Girls’ U-13 singles: Shrawani Khairnar bt Nishika Toprani 21-11, 21-4; Aarna Chandak bt Aradhya Singh 21-19, 21-8.

Girls’ U-17 singles: 1-Risha Parab bt Rudra Gawde 21-17, 21-11;

Imaan Motorwalla bt 2-Thea Sheth 21-8, 21-14.

Boys’ U-11 singles: Vivaan Waingankar bt Siddharth Kane 21-2, 21-1; 2-Vir Butani bt Vedant Gupta 21-15, 21-17.

Boys’ U-13 singles: 1-K Mehta bt K Gandhi 21-6, 21-6; Vivaan Waingankar bt Vedant Gupta 21-13, 21-8.

Boys’ U-17 singles: 1-Harshit Mahimkar bt Akshat Raisurana 21-13, 21-9; 2-Anay Pingulkar bt Adyant Gupta 21-18, 21-14.

Women’s singles: 1-Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye bt Thea Sheth 21-9, 21-13; 2-Shivani Herlekar bt Devanshi Shinde 24-22, 18-21, 24-22.

An intimate gathering of family and friends, cherished teammates, revered mentors and well-wishers convened tonight at The Quorum, Mumbai, to celebrate the official launch of “The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife”. Authored by Puja Pujara (with Namita Kala), the memoir is extremely unique as it’s a rare instance of a sportsman’s better half presenting his story in her words. Offering a rare window into the mind of one of India’s most unique batsmen, the memoir delves into Cheteshwar’s formative years, the battles on and off the field, the dedication and sacrifices behind the scenes, and the resilience and passion that define Cheteshwar as well as the couples enduring love and commitment to each other.

The launch event was marked by an atmosphere of camaraderie and warmth, with Cheteshwar’s long time teammate Rohit Sharma, and former coach and mentor Anil Kumble sharing anecdotes and reflections of Cheteshwar’s cricketing career thus far and highlighting and recognising the invaluable, and often unrecognised, roles their wives and families play behind the scenes allowing them to succeed on the field. Adding a special touch to the occasion was the presence of Chetana Kumble – who along withPuja Pujara provided unique perspectiveson what it takes to be a wife of a cricketer in a nation obsessed with the game.

(Left ti Right): Cheteshwar Pujara, Puja Pabari author, Chetana Kumble, Anil Kumble, Rohit Sharma, Ritika Sajdeh, and Manish Batavia at the launch of the book ‘The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife’ in Mumbai on Thursday.

“Crafting this memoir has been an incredible journey in itself,” remarked Puja Pujara,author of the book,during the evening’s proceedings. “Recounting both the special and painful memories from Cheteshwar’s career, reliving the struggles, vulnerabilities and triumphs, penning this memoir was a roller coaster in itself. I’ve been privileged to witness the sheer grit, passion, and dedication that defines Cheteshwar’s journey. While the journey is of a recognised cricketer, at its essence it’s a profound human story; and I believe there is something for everyone in Cheteshwar’s story, which is why I took out the time to write this book”

Having coached and mentored Cheteshwar, and spent time with the Pujara family over the years, Anil Kumble, reflected: I have witnessed how invested the Pujara family – especially Puja – has been in Cheteshwar’s career; and it’s heartening to see the entire close-knit family here to celebrate the launch of such an unique book –  that provides such an honest and candid perspective of the personal journey of a great career”

Grateful for a memorable evening, Cheteshwar remarked: My cricketing journey so far has been as much mine as Puja’s – without whose support and sacrifices I surely wouldn’t have been to represent and perform for the country over the years. Its heart warming to see so many of my well wishers, friends, and family take the time out to be here to celebrate the launch of Puja’s book – one she has tirelessly worked to put together over the years. This is a great occasion to recognise and highlight the immeasurable role our spouses and families play, and am grateful to all of you for coming out and making this evening special.

“The Diary Of A Cricketer’s Wife” is now available at all major bookstores and online retailers.

About the Author:
Puja Pujara, wife of Indian cricketer, Cheteshwar Pujara, was born in Gujarat and studied at a private school in Mount Abu. She has an MBA in retail management and has worked in marketing and customer service as a manager in a multinational company.

Mumbai’s rising badminton star Harshit Mahimkar put on a stellar performance to storm into the semifinals of both the boys’ under-17 and under-19 categories at the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025.

Harshit Mahimkar stormed into semi finals of both storm into the semifinals of boys’ U-17 and U-19 categories at the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025.

In the under-17 quarterfinals, Harshit cruised past Jatin Khosya with a commanding 21-10, 21-11 win at the CCI Badminton Courts. He will be joined in the semifinals by second seed Anay Pingulkar, who was tested but eventually overcame Dhruv Pawar 21-18, 19-21, 21-17. Also advancing were Akshat Raisurana and Adyanth Gupta, both winning in straight games.

Harshit was equally dominant in the under-19 quarterfinals, where he demolished A. Krishnan 21-5, 21-3 to seal his place in the last four. Second seed Akshat Raisurana also had an easy outing, defeating Saksham Chaturvedi 21-5, 21-6. Anay Pingulkar and Durgesh Kulkarni completed the semifinal lineup with straight-game victories.

In the women’s singles category, top seed Naisha Kaur-Bhatoy and second seed Shivani Herlekar comfortably advanced to the semifinals.

Naisha defeated Sajana Maharao 21-10, 21-5, while Shivani overpowered Natasha Daswani 21-5, 21-4. They were joined by Thea Sheth and Devanshi Shinde, both registering solid wins in their respective quarterfinal clashes.

Results –

Women’s Singles (Quarterfinals):

Naisha Kaur-Bhatoy bt Sajana Maharao 21-10, 21-5

Thea Sheth bt Vedika Kulkarni 21-13, 17-21, 21-15

Devanshi Shinde bt Anisha Mirchandani 21-12, 21-11

Shivani Herlekar bt Natasha Daswani 21-5, 21-4

Under-17 Boys Singles (Quarterfinals):

Harshit Mahimkar bt Jatin Khosya 21-10, 21-11

Akshat Raisurana bt Vikrant Singh Negi 21-7, 21-10

Adyanth Gupta bt Anmol Sharma 21-18, 21-12

Anay Pingulkar bt Dhruv Pawar 21-18, 19-21, 21-17

Under-19 Boys Singles (Quarterfinals):

Harshit Mahimkar bt A. Krishnan 21-5, 21-3

Durgesh Kulkarni bt Adyanth Gupta 21-17, 21-19

Anay Pingulkar bt Ruhan Bhatia 22-20, 21-9

Akshat Raisurana bt Saksham Chaturvedi 21-5, 21-6

The top two seeds Ajay Meena and Harshit Mahimkar brooked no opposition as they smoothly sailed into the men’s singles quarter-finals of the CCI- GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025.

The number one seed Meena encountered some resistance from home challenger Jawad Shaikh in the first game, but he managed to come out trumps, recording a 21-18 and 21-13 victory in a round-16 encounter at the CCI badminton courts.

Second seed Mahimkar was in complete control against unseeded Kshitj Shinde and romped to a straight-game 21-8 and 21-12 verdict in another pre-quarter-final match.

Meanwhile, top seed Risha Parab and second seed Thea Sheth scored easy victories in their girls’ U-17 singles pre-quarter-final matches. Risha scored an authoritative win over Neha Vicharay coasting to a quick 21-2 and 21-9 win, while Thea got the better of Swara Pote, scripting a 21-6, 21-15 victory to advance to the quarter-finals.

Results – Girls’ U-17 singles (round 16): Imaan Motorwala bt Tia Ugrankar 25-23, 21-17;

1-Risha Parab bt Neha Vicharay 21-2, 21-9;

Rudra Gawade bt Anvi Kakade 21-9, 21-18;

2-Thea Sheth bt Swara Pote 21-6, 21-15;

Women’s singles (round 16): Thea Sheth bt Sanaya Anklesari a 21-8, 21-7;

Anisha Mirchandani bt Yugandhara  Dhapre 21-15, 21-7;

Natasha Daswani bt Gouree Athle 21-2, 21-6.

Men’s singles (round 16):

1-Ajay Meena Jawad Shaikh 21-18, 21-13;

Kanishq Govardhan Gurram bt Mishil Shah 21-17, 9-21, 21-10;

3-Piyush Kamble bt Vedant Sawant 21-10, 21-10;

Nigel D’Sa bt Sohail Sherif 21-5, 21-4;

Jaswinder Singh bt Siddhesh Raut 21-17, 21-6;

4-Ruturaj Rathod bt Arnav Bhagat 21-8, 21-11;

Daras Nadar bt Raghavenda Chati 22-20, 21-11;

2-Harshit Mahimkar bt Kshitj Shinde 21-8, 21-12.

Third seed Piyush Kamble staged a remarkable fight-back to overcome the spirited challenge from unseeded Pranav Amble posting a hard-fought 20-22, 23-21, and 21-17 victory in a tense and exciting men’s singles first round match of the CCI- GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025, which commenced at the CCI badminton courts late Monday evening.

In contrast, fourth seed Ruturaj Rathod enjoyed an easy outing as he defeated Piroze Kartak in straight games, winning at 21-11, and 21-7 to advance to the second round.

Former champion Nigel D’Sa and Jawad Shaikh also progressed to the second round. D’Sa cruised past Tilak Kanungo, racing to a quick 21-5, and 21-11 win, while home challenge Shaikh comfortably defeated Satyasheel Kulkarni 21-9, and 21-14;

Results – Boys’ U-17 (roumd 32): Dawood Vaglawala bt Shaun Mehta 14-21, 21-13, 21-14;///////

Daraayush Palkhiwala bt Saket Pere 21-10, 21-11;

Durgesh Kandukuri bt Yashovardhan 21-3, 21-7;

Aarush Jalan bt Mihir V. 21-9, 21-16;

Raayan Shah bt Reyansh Dubey 21-10, 21-12.

Men’s singles (round 32): Jawad Shaikh bt Satyasheel Kulkarni 21-9, 21-14;

3-Piyush Kamble bt Pranav Amble 20-22, 23-21, 21-17;

Nigel D’Sa bt Tilak Kanungo 21-5, 21-11;

Siddhesh Raut bt Devansh Nisar 21-8, 21-12;

Jaswinder Singh bt Vaishnav Pashte 21-16, 21-5;

Arnav Bhagat bt Pranav Sawant 21-10, 21-16;

4-Ruturaj Rathod bt Piroze Kartak 21-11, 21-7;

Raghavendra Chati bt Vijay Gupta 21-17, 21-16;

Daras Nadar bt Aatish Annapurne 21-10, 21-15;

Kshitij Shinde bt Manmohan Varma 21-14, 21-6.

Catholic Gymkhana football team is continuing from where they left off last season. Having won the Second Division Championship last year, Catholic Gymkhana have been going from strength to strength this time too in the First Division.

The latest victims of their exploits were Sahar Silver Star FC with Catholic Gymkhana FC emerging 6-0 victory in their Group B match of the MFA League 2024-2025 and played at the Neville D’Souza ground, Bandra on Monday.

The fired-up Gymkhana lads led 3-0 at the break for their fifth straight win having drawn a match earlier. Prolific striker Reuben Fernandes was the star of the show with a splendid hat-trick as they outclassed their rivals with an aggressive show marked with splendid finishing. The other scorers were Jalmesh Nijar, Chirag Tandel and Vandan Meher.

Reuben’s tap-in from Chirag Tandel’s low pass in the sixth minute sent the lads on their way. The second goal in the 36th goal was an elegant top of the box angular shot by Jalmesh and Reuben with a snap left-footer got his second goal in the 44th minute.

On resumption Reuben provided a perfect assist for Chirag Tandel to drill in the fourth goal in the 50th minute. Catholic Gymkhana continued to put pressure on the rival citadel and left wing back Vandan Meher with a brilliant angular effort secured the fifth goal with Reuben making light of his injury completing his hat-trick in the 78th minute.

The gymkhana boys are presently leading the standings with 16 points from their six matches ahead of Mumbai Warriors with 13 points from six matches.

Results (First Div): Catholic Gymkhana 6 (Reuben Fernandes 3, Jalmesh Nijar, Chirag Tandel, Vandan Meher) beat Sahar Silver Star FC 0.

Ruhaan Bade displayed exceptional resilience as he bounced back from a first-set loss to defeat Malhaar Shimpi 21-23, 21-18, 21-16 in a thrilling Boys’ Under-11 Round of 32 match at the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2025, which began on Monday at the CCI badminton courts.

In another tightly contested Boys’ U-11 clash, Kiaan Gupta held off a spirited challenge from Vivaan Goyal to clinch a 21-19, 22-20 victory and book his place in the Round of 16.

Meanwhile, in the Boys’ Under-15 category, Sahaj Kadam delivered a commanding performance to defeat Shaurya Kulkarni in straight sets, 21-14, 21-11, securing his spot in the Round of 16.

Results:
Boys’ U-15 – Round of 32:
Vivaan Waingankar bt Vihaan Pradhan 21-5, 21-8
Dheer Lodha bt Kahaan Gosalia 21-6, 21-12
Sahaj Kadam bt Shaurya Kulkarni 21-14, 21-11

Boys’ U-11 – Round of 32:
Ruhaan Bade bt Malhaar Shimpi 21-23, 21-18, 21-16
Dev Kothari bt Anant Lad 21-13, 21-6
Kiaan Gupta bt Vivaan Goyal 21-19, 22-20
Mohammed Raut bt Khrishiv Tantia 21-11, 21-15
Agastya Mehta bt Rayaan Patel 21-5, 21-9
Ayaan Jain bt Prihaan Boradia 21-17, 21-15
Siddharth Katkar bt Shakya 21-9, 21-10
Naheer Jesrani bt Avir Shah 21-7, 21-12

Mumbai city’s talented and skillful teenager Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye has the distinction of being the top seed in the women’s singles and girls’ under-19 singles, in the CCI-GMBA Yonex Sunrise District Badminton Championship 2024, organized by the Cricket Club of India (CCI) in association with the Greater Mumbai Badminton Association (GMBA), and which is scheduled to commence at the CCI badminton courts from Monday, June 2, 2025.

Shivani Herlekar is seeded second behind the energetic and cheerful Naishaa in the women’s draw.

In the men’s competition, Ajay Meena has been given the pride of place, while talented teenager Harshit Mahimkar is seeded second. Piyush Kamble and Ruturaj Rathod are the third and fourth seeds respectively.

Harshit is the number one seed in both the boy’s U-17 and boys’ U-19 singles events.

Competitions will be conducted in 22 categories. The events include Men’s and Women’s singles, doubles and mixed doubles, Boys’ & Girls’ U-19 and U-17 singles and doubles, Boys’ & Girls’ U-11, U-13 and U-15 singles, Men’s Masters 80+ combination doubles, Women’s Seniors 75+ combination doubles & Mixed 80+ combination doubles.

All Matches up to the quarter-finals will be played over best-of-3 games of 15 points with no extension or setting. Matches from the quarter-finals will be played over best-of–3 games of 21 points.

The seedings:

Men’s singles: 1 Ajay Meena, 2 Harshit Mahimkar, 3 Piyush Kamble, 4 Ruturaj K.Rathod.

Women’s singles: 1 Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye, 2 Shivani Herlekar.

Boys’ U-17 singles: 1 Harshit Mahimkar, 2 Anay Pingulkar, 3 Vikrant Singh Negi, 4 Anmol Sharma.

Boys’ U-19 singles: 1 Harshit Mahimkar, 2 Akshat Raisurana.

Girls’ U-17 singles: 1 Risha Parab, 2. Thea Sheth.

Girls’ U-19 singles: 1 Naishaa Kaur Bhatoye, 2 Devanshi Shinde.