Sports
Tenacity and triumph
]She plays in the junior girls category and has been a successful paddler at district, state and national levels. Mahzarin Pardiwalla is 14 years old, lives in Thana and studies in standard nine at the Vasant Vihar High School there. "Mahzarin’s backhand is very strong. She has an attacking style of play. She needs to improve her forehand,” says her father Vispi. "She started playing table tennis at age seven by watching me. I was playing to remain fit. I do not play professionally.” Mahzarin has been training with Mahendra Chiplunkar and Rajendra Sawant in Thana.
From being runner-up in the midgets category in the district ranking in 2006, Mahzarin has progressed steadily. In 2007, she stood second in the cadet class at the district level and was a part of the gold medal winning cadet team at the state championship. The next year she was the district winner in her age group. Reporting on the Bombay YMCA (Young Men’s Christian Association) Second Maharashtra State Ranking Table Tennis Championship at the Sachivalaya Gymkhana, The Sunday Newsline of July 27, 2008 wrote: "Third seed Pardiwalla turned out to be the toast of the day as she claimed the cadet girls singles crown while shocking top seed and compatriot Rutuja Khopkar (of Thana) in the final and earlier stunning No 2 seed and doubles partner Sanika Muley of Aurangabad in the semi finals. Pardiwalla and Muley later overcame Fauzia Meherally and Mrunmayee Dikey to clinch the doubles crown.” The cadet team won gold at the state championship and a creditable bronze in the national championship. In 2009, she was the individual winner and part of the gold medal winning sub junior squad at the state tournament.
Mahzarin Pardiwalla: plucky table tennis player
The year 2010 saw successes at national level. She secured silver in doubles and as a part of the sub junior team. The color was gold for the sub juniors at the state tourney. At the many ranking events that year, Mahzarin claimed either first or runner-up position. She enjoys travelling for the matches, though that might prove problematic due to increasing academic pressures. "It is very difficult to manage so this year she’ll be playing only DSO (District Sports Office) inter school tournaments,” asserts her father. Mother Dilnavaz is also supportive. At the All Parsees Table Tennis Tournament organized by FOZAWAC (Federation of Zoroastrian Associations for Welfare and Culture) earlier this year, Mahzarin was the winner in the women’s category though she was then only 13.
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