Atlanta, GA: The Championship match in Table Tennis between Rajat Dua and Ajay Aphale was an absolute thriller! It reminded us – well, some of us – of the great matches between the Indian paddlers Manjit Dua, Kamlesh Mehta and Chandrasekhar. Vibha KhelMela, organized in Global Mall on March 18th and 19th, brought back memories for everyone – memories of intercollegiate matches, inter-hostel matches, and of impulsive duels on street corners. Fabulous forehand top-spins, controlled backhand chops, deceptive serves, all were exhibited with panache in the Table Tennis final. After giving away a two game lead at 10-12 and 5-11, Dua fought back and won the next two games at 11-6 and 12-10. Aphale bounced back hard and took the next game easily at 11-6. The next two games were a test of nerves and both the players responded amazingly well, producing some of the most scintillating games of table tennis ever witnessed in the four year history of Vibha KhelMela. Dua exhibited controlled aggression and won the next game at 11-8, making it three games each and setting the stage for a grand finale. In a game of changing fortunes, Dua peaked at the right time and produced the match-winning burst of strokes to take the game and match at 11-8.

The tremendous energy, competitive spirit and sense of nostalgia with which each participant played made it a great weekend for all the players as well as Vibha volunteers. Sanjeev Dambal, the Chess Champion summarized it well - “Ever since I moved to Atlanta in 2004, Vibha Khelmela has become the most sought after event in my calendar. It is a wonderful experience to be able to play the sports we played back home in India, meeting other players and interacting with the dedicated set of Vibha volunteers. Knowing that the proceeds are for charity made it even more memorable. While the international rules and formats are followed, the informal atmosphere in which the event is conducted adds to its charm and makes it a very enjoyable experience for players and the families. I am already looking forward to participate in the next event and maybe even volunteer". This event also showed how supportive the Indian community is for the cause of Vibha, a non-profit organization that strives for the betterment of underprivileged children in India.

“The fact that by devoting some of our time we are able to change the lives of so many children in ways big and small is what makes being part of such an endeavor so gratifying. I would love to continue to be part of this event and of Vibha, and thus do my little bit” said Rajat Dua, who was also the coordinator of the event. The proceeds from this event will benefit Vibha sponsored child development projects in India in the areas of education, healthcare and vocational training. A complete list of 34 projects currently funded by Vibha can be viewed at www.vibha.org The Khelmela started off on Saturday morning with the Chess tournament, with increased participation in the children’s segment. Mr. Steve Snyder, who is an author of several books on Chess and a veteran of chess training for kids for over 25 years, organized the chess event in the Swiss format. Sanjeev Dambal was able to retain his championship for the third year in a row in the Seniors section, while Saitej Gutikonda, Janak Joshi and Michael Rayalu were declared joint winners in the Juniors section.

In Table Tennis, Prachi Fulay participated both in the Under-15 and Women categories, and won both the titles. While she won the women’s championship easily, she faced stiff resistance in the Under-15 section losing to Anay Nawathe in the initial rounds. However, she made amends to her game and finally won against Nawathe himself in the finals. The budding talent among these children was quite heart-warming and attracted the most spectators in the tournament.

Carroms, India’s most popular indoor sport, saw some serious competition that lasted for two days. It was nostalgia at its best! This year’s tournament saw some new talent, particularly among men. Amit Shinde won the championship with the score of 25-14 in a well-contested match with Hemant Lad. However, Hemant won the Doubles championship in the company of Ajay Aphale. In the women’s section, Sangeetha Vijay won the championship over her regular week-end opponent Lakshmi Thiagarajan.

“Vibha tournaments always leave good memories for us, particularly as we think of supporting a child's future through these games” said Vijay Nagarajan, Vibha Khelmela 2005 Table Tennis champion, and who participated this year also in all the events and reached final in the Table Tennis doubles tournament.

Vibha is run by volunteers coming from diverse backgrounds and we strongly encourage people in the community to volunteer. The next fund-raiser is the 8th Annual FutureTech Vibha Cricket tournament to be held on April 28/29th and May 13/14th at Georgia Tech. Are you ready for another ride down the nostalgic path? For more information about the organization or how you can help, please visit: http://atlanta.vibha.org

The following are winners and runners up at Khel Mela 2006