MAHARASHTRA’S NATIONAL CHAMPIONS FELICITATED at Juhu Gymkhana, Mumbai.
(3/2/2008)  

At the Junior Nationals 2007at Ajmer, the Maharashtra players had done exceedingly well. The players were felicitated by Indian Squash Professionals at the prize distribution ceremony of JVPG - ISP Squash Classic. Mr. Harshvardhan Patil (Chief Patron ISP and Minister of Marketing, EGS, Women and Child Development and Parliamentary Affairs)  gave the awards to the players 

Vikram Malhotra's Felicitation 5th August 2002 (Press Club, Mumbai)

Bhushan Gagrani (IAS) and Mahendra Agarwal (Director, ISP), felicitating Vikram Malhotra

Double treat for Vikram Malhotra Times of India,  Mumbai: 7th August 2002 Vikram Malhotra’s winning efforts in recent months have won instant recognition. He was bestowed with the PROSQUASH Award for International Excellence in Squash with a cash prize of Rs. 51,000 by Mahendra Agarwal, director, Indian Squash Professionals, at the Press Club on Monday. ISP is an organization involved in promoting the game of squash in India and brings out the PROSQUASH newsletter. Last week, Vikram was awarded the ‘Laureus Sports for Good Foundation’ scholarship of Rs one lakh given to promising Indian junior sportsperson in New Delhi.  The only other junior from the state was Pune’s badminton player Aditi Mutatkar). Vikram was the only one chosen from the field of squash and received it from tennis icon Boris Becker, his idol. Earlier last month, the eight-standard lad from Beacon High School, Khar, won the Milo All Star Malaysian Junior Squash Open Championships 2002.On his way to these titles he beat top class players like Jerry Foo of Malaysia.

Among those present at the felicitation was India’s six-times national champion-turned coach Brig. Raj Manchanda. He said about Vikram. “He is a sweet-flowing player, a natural. More creditably, he is adventurous in his approach.”

In just two years of picking up the game form his father Shiv at Khar Gymkhana, the 12-year-old Vikram has a rich bounty of silverware.

He claimed the Hong Kong Open Junior 2000, the Junior National title, Air-India Squash Championships twice, the Little Master’s, the Otter’s Open, and the West Zone Inter-school, among others.

Mother Anita being a Reebok fitness instructor has been an added help. ISP has rewarded Vikram giving him free coaching for a year.

Vikram has no time to rest on his laurels as he competes in the Hong Kong Junior Squash Open this week. He is the top seed and should complete the hat-trick of South-East titles.

Akhil Behl's Felicitation 24-1-98 (Bombay Gymkhana)

Gautam Thakkar (Bombay Gymkhana,President), Vijay Kumar Gautam (IAS) , Paul Ferriera (team member of victorious Maharashtra team), Akhil Behl, Raj Singh Dungarpurkar, Ashok Sinha (IAS), C.S.Pawar, Riaz Mohammed & Mahendra Agarwal (Founder Director, ISP) at the function.

Newly crowned National Squash Champion Akhil Behl was felicitated by the Indian Squash Professional (ISP) at a function at the Bombay Gymkhana on Thursday night. Behl had beaten three-times National champion Arjan Singh in the final in Chennai earlier this month.  A Dubai based Indian businessman Shyam Bhatia has invited Behl to play inter-club and exhibition matches in Dubai.  He will also sponsor Behl’s trip. 

Behl who was instrumental in Maharashtra’s triumph in the Inter-State tournament in Calcutta, was presented with a salver by Raj Singh Dungarpur, the president (BCCI).  Praising Behl, the Collector of Mumbai, Vijay Kumar Gautam, hoped that he would emulate the splendid showing of three former champions from Mumbai, eight-time National champion Anil Nayar, five-times winner Meherwan Daruvala and six-times champion Adrian Ezra.

The Maharashtra team members were also presented with mementos by the President of the Bombay Gymkhana and former badminton player Gautam Thakkar.

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