GUWAHATI, Jan 15 � The 75th Junior and Youth National and Inter State Table Tennis Championships, organised by the Assam Table Tennis Association (ATTA), got off to a colourful start at the Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium here today.
Over 600 paddlers from 29 affiliated State units of Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) are taking part in the championship where competitions are being arranged in 16 international standard tables. In the inaugural function, all the participating teams participated in a march past where chief guest, State Minister Rockybul Hussain, took the salute.
State Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla, TTFI secretary general Dhanraj Choudhury, Arjuna Award winner and former international Kamlesh Mehta were also present on the occasion.
Welcoming the gathering, ATTA secretary Tridib Duvarah said that after successfully hosting the senior nationals in 2010, the State TT body dared to organise this mega event. He said the organising committee is trying to provide all possible facilities to the participants so that the players can show their best performance.
Dhanraj Choudhury, while speaking on the occasion said that it is the toughest and most important tournament in the national circuit as players for the senior teams are selected from this meet. He revealed that Kamlesh Mehta will keep a watchful eye on the players and all the participating players must put in their best effort.
Chief guest Minister Hussain wished all the best to all the participants. Chief Secretary Khoshla also spoke on the occasion.
In the opening ceremony, former players like Monalisa Baruah Mehta, Nandini Baruah, Modalasa Baruah, Mita Sinha Roy, Gita Bezbaruah, Arati Das, Ghritachi Hazarika, Papari Hazarika Bora, Pallabi Parasor, Gautam Hazarika, Carfew Roy, Rahul Dutta, Biswajit Bora, Soneswar Deka, Nilotpal Borpujari, Tridib Duvarah, Sanjib Sarme and others were honoured for their contribution to State TT. On the opening day, Assam youth teams had dismal show. The Assam boys went down to PSPB 0-3 while the girls team was beaten by Tamil Nadu 3-0. However, Assam junior boys beat Meghalaya 3-0. But the girls were beaten by Tamil Nadu 3-0.
