Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Sports Desk
Goa witnessed a heartwarming sporting achievement as siblings Abhirvey Jagdale and Disha Jagdale brought pride to the state with their impressive performances at the 2025 Oceanman Open Water World Final Championship held in Dubai from December 5 to 7. Representing India on an international stage that featured participants from more than 90 countries, the young swimmers demonstrated remarkable determination and talent. Nine-year-old Abhirvey completed the challenging 500-meter swim, securing his finisher medal, while his elder sister Disha, aged 13, successfully finished the 2-kilometer event and earned her medal as well.
The brother-sister duo, who study at Kings High School in Sao Jose de Areal, have been celebrated by the local sporting community for their commitment, discipline, and strong performances. Their achievement highlights the growing strength of Goa’s young sporting talent and inspires more children across the state to pursue competitive swimming at higher levels.
Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Sports Desk
The Vishnu Sinai Dempo Memorial All Goa Inter School Invitational Table Tennis Tournament is set to bring remarkable enthusiasm to the Indoor Stadium, Campal, on December 14, 2025. Some of Goa’s most promising young athletes, including Chandan Caro, Ishita Colaso, Vedant Wagle, Yug Prabhu, Pradyna Caro, Ruhaan Shaikh and Aarna Lotlikar, will headline what promises to be an exciting day of competition. The event will also feature a vibrant lineup of emerging talents such as Yuvaan Sanke, Ishaan Colaco, Sanisha Sinha, Shreya Phadte, Anaya Srivastava, Ayushi Amonkar, Kavyaa Khalap, Kavish Dalvi and Inara D’Souza, ensuring matches filled with intensity and high-quality sporting spirit.
Organised by the Panaji Morning Stars Sports Club in collaboration with Dempo Royals, the tournament builds on the organisers’ recent success hosting the elite Multi State Masters Table Tennis Championship. This year’s inter-school edition will witness 16 schools battling across Boys and Girls League Team events, bringing together 28 teams and a remarkable participation of 103 players. The organisers view the event not only as a competitive stage but also as a powerful platform for nurturing young athletes. Promoter Yogish Dempo shared that the vision behind the tournament is centred on fostering confidence and leadership in young players, emphasising that the event is about far more than just matches.
The participants share the same spirit of excitement. Goa’s top girl player, Ishita Colaso, expressed how team events bring out the best in every athlete and how representing one’s school teaches values of pride, pressure and responsibility. National Gold medallist Chandan Caro echoed this sentiment, stating that the tournament plays an important role in helping players learn to fight hard and proudly carry their school’s name.
With pure dedication, strong school spirit and youthful energy coming together under one roof, Campal is set to witness a memorable celebration of Goa’s rising table tennis stars. The day promises not only fierce competition but also the joy of young athletes embracing the sport with passion and purpose.
Written by Tanisha Cardozo || Team Allycaral Sports Desk
The Goa Cricket Association has announced special cash rewards for the Goa U-19 cricket team and its support staff following their commanding innings victory over Assam in the Cooch Behar Elite Cricket Tournament. The decision comes on the back of two consecutive innings wins, marking one of the most impressive starts by the state in recent years. GCA President Mahesh Dessai, along with the Managing Committee, confirmed that a cash prize of ₹1 lakh will be awarded to Yash Kasvankar for his extraordinary knock of 243 in the opening match against Chhattisgarh, a performance that not only set the foundation for the first innings victory of Goa’s campaign but also gave the team early momentum in the tournament.
In appreciation of consistent all-round displays, each Goa player will receive ₹50,000, while the support staff will be rewarded with ₹25,000 each for their instrumental role in preparing and backing the young squad. Against Assam, Goa’s bowlers delivered a ruthless performance, dismissing the opposition for just 75 runs in the first innings and enforcing the follow-on before bowling them out again for 86. The match wrapped up in two and a half days, giving Goa their second straight innings victory and earning them seven points, including a bonus. With 14 points from two matches, Goa now stands joint-second in Elite Group D alongside Bengal.
The victory was built on disciplined bowling and important contributions with the bat. Dishank Misquin scored a valuable 88 in Goa’s only innings, while Mihir Kudalkar produced remarkable figures of 3 for 0 in the first innings and 4 for 9 in the second. Samarth Rane, Chigurupati Venkata, Shiven Borkar and Yash Kasvankar also chipped in with key wickets to ensure a dominant finish. GCA President Mahesh Dessai expressed immense pride in the team’s performances, praising their discipline and determination and acknowledging the crucial role of the support staff. He highlighted that Yash’s 243 will remain a standout moment of the season but emphasized that the team’s collective spirit has been the true driving force behind their success. With back-to-back innings wins over Chhattisgarh and Assam, Goa heads into their next fixture against Uttar Pradesh with confidence and growing belief in their abilities as they continue their impressive run in the tournament.
Panaji, November 24 The opening game of the FIDE World Cup 2025 final saw a composed and strategic performance from Chinese Grandmaster Wei Yi, who held Uzbekistan’s GM Javokhir Sindarov to a draw with the black pieces. Meanwhile, in the bronze-medal match, GM Andrey Esipenko registered a crucial victory over GM Nodirbek Yakubboev, strengthening his chances of securing a berth at the 2026 Candidates Tournament.
Opening with the black pieces, Wei Yi once again relied on the trusted Petrov Defence, signaling a deep preparation and confidence in his defensive structure. Sindarov, searching for an early edge, was forced to take calculated risks to unbalance the position.
The game transitioned into a bishop-and-pawn endgame, where Wei Yi surprisingly held a slightly superior position. However, the young Uzbek GM defended with precision, navigating multiple threats before both players agreed to a draw after 50 moves. The final now heads into Game 2 with everything to play for.
In the battle for third place — also significant for the coveted Candidates qualification — Russian GM Andrey Esipenko capitalized on his chances to defeat GM Nodirbek Yakubboev.
Yakubboev opened with the Sicilian Defence, but soon found himself in a difficult middlegame. Though he momentarily equalised after Esipenko made a few questionable decisions, the Uzbek GM was under severe time pressure, with barely three minutes left and more than ten moves to make before time control.
Esipenko maintained composure, playing accurately in the knight-vs-bishop endgame, eventually forcing resignation after 38 moves. The victory means Esipenko now needs only a draw with black in Game 2 to confirm a Candidates spot.
Final (Game 1): GM Javokhir Sindarov (UZB) drew with GM Wei Yi (CHN) — 0.5 : 0.5
Third Place (Game 1): GM Andrey Esipenko (FIDE) beat GM Nodirbek Yakubboev (UZB) — 1 : 0
The stage is set for an intense Game 2 as Sindarov looks to press with black, while Esipenko seeks to secure one of the most prestigious spots in world chess.
The Mandrem constituency witnessed a moment of immense pride as young athlete Prajyot Nanoskar achieved a remarkable milestone at the WPC National 2025 in Bengaluru. Competing in the highly demanding 74 kg Junior category, Prajyot secured the Overall Title in both SBD and Push-Pull, emerging as a standout performer at the national event. His accomplishment reflects not only his personal dedication and discipline but also the growing strength and potential of the youth from Mandrem.
MLA Jit Arolkar extended heartfelt congratulations, acknowledging that such achievements highlight the talent rising within the community and inspire many young individuals to pursue excellence. Prajyot’s journey, marked by commitment and resilience, serves as an example of what focused effort and passion can accomplish. His victory brings pride to Mandrem and adds another bright chapter to the constituency’s sporting achievements. With this national recognition, the community now looks forward to witnessing more milestones in his sporting career, confident that he will continue to excel and represent Mandrem with great honour.
