In a thrilling finale at the Tilak Tank of Deccan Gymkhana, Western Railways emerged victorious in the Kattakkar Trophy All India Inter Club Water Polo Tournament. The intense battle saw Western Railways secure a 12-9 win over Indian Navy, showcasing exceptional skill and teamwork.
The final match unfolded with Indian Navy taking an early lead of 2-0, but Western Railway made a strong comeback, finishing the first quarter with only a one-goal deficit. The second quarter witnessed Western Railway taking the lead, securing six goals to five. Indian Navy faced challenges in the third quarter, losing two key players to permanent exclusion, allowing Western Railway to establish a crucial four-goal lead at 10-6. Despite a comeback attempt by Navy in the fourth quarter, Western Railway maintained their strength and secured the victory at 12-9.
Ashwinikumar Kunde, the top scorer for Western Railway, played a pivotal role in the win and was awarded the Player of the Match. Notably, Western Railway remained unbeaten throughout the entire tournament.
The winners, Western Railway, were honored with the prestigious Katakkar Trophy and a cash prize of Rs. 50,000, while the runner-up, Indian Navy, received a Trophy and Rs. 30,000. The awards were presented by international water polo players Sanjay Karandikar and Shailesh Tamhankar, along with officials from the Pune District Aquatic Association.
In the battle for the third-place position, Culcutta Sports Association (CSA) secured a 12-9 victory over Eastern Railway, maintaining their three-goal lead from the first quarter.
Results: Final Round:
- Western Railway: 12 (Ashiwinikumar Kunde 4, Sheyas Vaidya 1, Arjun Kawle 1, Sarang Vaidya 3, Karan Shukla 1, Bhushan Patil 2) bt Indian Navy: 9 (Ananthu G S 2, Pranav Mhatre 2, Gokul 1, Bhagesh Kuthe 1, Midhun 1, Vaibhav Kuthe 2); MOM – Ashwinikumar Kunde
3rd & 4th Place:
- Culcutta Sports Association (CSA): 12 (Ashish Sardar 3, S K Aryan Rehman 1, Somen Mondal 1, Souvik Dhali 2, S K Alviriza 2, Firoz Sardar 2, Biswajeet Dutta 1) bt Eastern Railway: 9 (Chandan Das 1, Aritra Das 1, Somnath 1, Satadip Bhatacharjee 1, Kishore 2, Kumarjeet Dutta 3); MOM- Ashish Sardar
5th and 6th Place:
- Deccan Gymkhana: 21 (Rutraj Bidkar 4, Manish Khomane 3, Gaurav Mahajani 5, Piyush Suryavanshi 9) bt Indian Airforce: 14 (Nithish 2, Raj Patil 2, Lalkrishna 3, Sibin Vargeese 3, Jijin Nayar 1, Vedanth Kuthe 1, Shrijit 1, Pravin G K 1); MOM-Piyush Suryavanshi
7th & 8th Place:
- Amravati: 12 (Parth Ambulkar 2, Jayesh Wankhede 1, Utkarsh Thorat 2, Alok Deshmukh 1, Manthan Shivanikar 5, Aryan Hingmire 1) bt Midnapur Swimming Club: 2 (Aritra Das 1, Sayan Bose 1); MOM-Manthan Shvanikar
Best Goal Keeper: Mandar Bhoir (Western Railway)
Best Player of the Tournament: Souvik Dhali (CSA)
