Ahmedabad’s Prasunna bags three medals at World TT Masters in Rome
Gandhidham, July 22: Ahmedabad’s prolific paddler Prasunna Parekh did the nation proud after she returned with three medals from the recently concluded ITTF World Masters Table Tennis Championships 2024 held at Rome, Italy.
The 48-year-old Prasunna, along with her doubles partner Meenu Basak, finished at top rung of the podium in the 45+ women’s doubles’ event after they defeated the Ukrainian pair of Nataliia Ostrovska and Halyna Telna 3-1 (5-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-3) in the summit clash. In the semis, the Indian pair got the better of the Germans Sylvia Messer and Sabine Neldner 3-1 (11-7, 11-5, 8-11, 11-6).
The India Post employee had to settle for bronze medal in the women’s singles 45+ event after she went down fighting to Janne Jensen of Denmark 2-3 (11-6, 9-11, 11-9, 5-11, 8-11) in the semi-final.
The former Gujarat no.1 paddler teamed up with K Srivatsa Chakravarty in the 45+ mix doubles event and managed a bronze medal after the Indian duo lost to the Danish pairing of Henrik Vendelbo and Janne Jensen 0-3 (6-11, 7-11, 10-12).
Prasunna, currently ranked India no. 2 in women’s 39+ singles category, has won two silver medals (in women’s singles and doubles) in the World Veteran Table Tennis tournament held in Doha, Qatar in 2023.
“Medals are the results of hours of hard work that I had put in with my coach three months before the meet. In the singles semis, the pressure got the better of me but still I am happy to come back with this performance,” Prasunna said.
