Pune’s Tennis Stars Shine Bright: Undre and Adkar Receive PMDTA Best Players Awards

In a celebration of talent and dedication, Pune’s emerging tennis champions, Smit Undre and Asmi Adkar, were honored with the prestigious PMDTA – Arun Wakankar Memorial Award for the Best Boy and Best Girl Tennis Players from Pune District during the PMDTA Annual Day Celebrations for 2021-22. This noteworthy event, organized by the Pune Metropolitan District Tennis Association (PMDTA), paid tribute to outstanding young athletes and dedicated coaches in the city’s tennis community.

The awards ceremony recognized the remarkable achievements of top-ranked players in the Pune District, who received the coveted Icon Scholarships. Additionally, the event showcased the contributions of tennis officials from Pune District and esteemed coaches, including Ravindra Pandey, Atul Deodhare, and Kapil Kinnari, who were honored with the Nandu Rokade Award for their exceptional coaching efforts throughout the year.

The occasion witnessed the presence of over 100 coaches, parents, and players from Pune District, all coming together to celebrate the achievements of the local tennis community. The awards were presented by notable individuals, including Aparna Wakankar, Local MLA Siddharth Shirole, Mr. Kishor Patil (President of PMDTA), Mr. Sunder Iyer (Hon Secretary of MSLTA), Mr. Abhishek Tamhane (Hon Secretary of PMDTA), Mr. Girish Inamdar (Gen. Secretary of Deccan Gymkhana), and Mr. Ashwin Girme (Tennis Secretary of Deccan Gymkhana), along with the Treasurer of PMDTA, Mr. Kaustubh Shah.

The ranking list for Pune District for the year 2021-22 included talented young athletes across various age categories:

Boys Under 8:

1. Ahan Bhattacharyya
2. Aaditya Upadhye
3. Reyansh Gund

Girls Under 8:

1. Samaira Thakur
2. Ziya Saify
3. Ishna Naidu

Boys Under 10:

1. Advait Gund
2. Rishabh A
3. Dev Murthy

Girls Under 10:

1. Deveshi Padiya
2. Janhavi Sawant
3. Vaanya Agarwal

Boys Under 12:

1. Aashrit Majji
2. Sayyam Patil
3. Aahan Patil

Girls Under 12:

1. Prarthana Khedekar
2. Sara Fengse
3. Ovee Marne

Boys Under 14:

1. Saksham Bhansali
2. Sanat Kadle
3. Swarnim Yevalekar

Girls Under 14:

1. Prarthana Khedekar
2. Paree Hengle
3. Kavya Deshmukh

The event also acknowledged the invaluable contributions of the Best Coaches of the year: Atul Deodhare, Kapil Kinnari, and Ravindra Pandey, who have played pivotal roles in nurturing young talent and shaping the future of tennis in Pune.