GUWAHATI, Feb 6 � A record number of 34 teams will vie for titles in the OIL 71st Senior National and Inter-state Table Tennis Championship scheduled to be held at the Desbhakta Tarun Ram Phookan Indoor Stadium in the RG Baruah Sports Complex here from February 10 to 16.
The Assam Table Tennis Association (ATTA) has been given the responsibility to host the crucial national-level tournaments where all the leading paddlers of the country will be seen in action.
Disclosing the preparation, ATTA president and State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said in a press conference that the championship has been organised after 42 years. Earlier the senior national TT was organised here in the year 1967. Now all the ATTA officials are committed to host the meet in a befitting manner. As about 600 participants will gather for the championship the organisers have to pull up their sleeves so that all the players can play according to their potential.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi will be present at the inaugural and closing functions as chief guest, said Hussain.
ATTA secretary Tridib Duvarah said that barring Arunachal Pradesh, all the States of the North-eastern region are participating in the meet which is a positive aspect. He informed that, while the team championship will be held from February 10 to 13, the individual events will be conducted from February 13 to 16.
On the composition of the Assam team, Duvarah revealed that a 20-member team will represent the State with former internationals Madalasa Hazarika as manager and Anupam Konwar as coach.
The ATTA secretary further informed that they have included some youth and junior players in the team so that they get some exposure and earn experience by playing against senior players.
A 21-day camp was arranged for the team.
Nandini Baruah, the first ever international TT player of the State, said Assam has a glorious past but during the last few years the State paddlers could not perform as expected. But the present batch of ATTA officials are putting up maximum effort for uplifting the standard of the game. The guardians are also extending helping hands to the organisers and she hoped the golden era of Assam TT will be back soon.
She said that during their time coaching was organised round the year under experienced coaches. But now the guardians hardly allow the players to continue their activities when they reach Class IX. Now the concept has, however, changed a little and all the players continue their practice round the year.
All the former players, like Monalisa Barua, Nandini Baruah, Arunjyoti Baruah, Rahul Dutta, Meena Bora, Madalasa Baruah, etc., will be present during the championship.
