Pankaj, Kajal reign supreme
More went up 6-0 in a nail-biting decider before Pawar led 7-6 in the fourth game.
Defending champion Pankaj Pawar retained the men’s title while state No. 1, Kajal Kumari won the women’s crown, in the Bombay YMCA 5th Mumbai District Ranking Carrom Tournament, at the Proctor YMCA.
Former state champion Pawar overcame former world champion Prashant More 25-7, 4-25, 25-17 in a pulsating finish, in a high voltage championship round that lasted a marathon 105 minutes. Federation Cup champion Kumari rallied from the loss of a tight opening board to upset former state and defending champion Ayesha Mohd. 20-25, 25-4, 25-9.
Pawar warmed up with an easy first board, until his form fell apart in the second with a foul on the last white in the third game and three missed blacks in the sixth that forced the decider.
More went up 6-0 in a nail-biting decider before Pawar led 7-6 in the fourth game. Pawar missed a crucial queen in the next game which gave More an envious 16-7 advantage. He came back brilliantly to add 10 crucial points in the next two games with a stunning clearance in the seventh for 17-16. More made it 17-17 with a solitary point in the eighth to set the stage for a humdinger.
More failed to cover the queen on two occasions in the final game and paid a heavy price as Pawar seized the opportunity to terminate the suspense with a nerve-wracking clearance.