ATTC Mega Money Tournament Awards

Sambit Kanjilal | Photo by: Lorenz Schimonsky

By Lee Abraham

The ATTC Butterfly Mega Money Open was an absolute blockbuster event, drawing an unprecedented roster of high-level talent from clubs all across the country. Despite the fierce national competition, Austin Table Tennis Club players defended their home tables brilliantly, securing seven hard-earned podium finishes across the weekend's events.

Here’s the winners of our exclusive ATTC Tournament Awards for the most prestigious podium finish, the most massive USATT rating surge, and the most jaw-dropping upset win of the weekend!

Apex Award for Best Podium Finish

• Winner: Sambit Kanjilal

• Affiliation: UT Team / ATTC

• The Feat: Sambit claimed the highest-level championship for any ATTC-affiliated player by capturing 1st Place in the Under 2100 event. He was an unstoppable force all day, finishing the tournament with a pristine, undefeated 6-0 record and securing the title with a commanding straight-game sweep (9, 9, 9) in the final over ATTC’s Ben Shi.

Rising Star Award for Largest USATT Ratings Increase

Sumay Kaushal | Photo by: Lorenz Schimonsky

• Winner: Sumay Kaushal

• Affiliation: ATTC Tournament Warriors

• The Feat: Sumay experienced a meteoric rise, logging a massive +102 USATT rating increase (jumping from 515 to 617). This was the single largest rating increase of any player in the entire tournament, easily cementing his status as the weekend's ultimate rising star.

Lion Heart Award for Biggest Upset Win

• Winner: Sumay Kaushal

• Affiliation: ATTC Tournament Warriors

• The Feat: Earning a rare double-award, Sumay also pulled off the most statistically stunning victory of the tournament. Entering his match with an adjusted rating of 515, he dug deep to defeat fellow ATTC Warrior Rohith Mugunthan (rated 1147) in a grueling 5-game war (-11, 5, 9, 7, 10). Overcoming a staggering 632-point rating deficit is the definitive Lion Heart performance.

• Honorable Mention: Neeraj Bhargav, who pulled off a massive 346-point upset! Entering the tournament with a rating of 1472, Neeraj defeated Yi Q (rated 1818) in the Under 1900 event with scores of 3, 10, -7, 6. This spectacular performance helped Neeraj secure a post-tournament rating increase to 1508.