GUWAHATI, June 8 � The Assam Table Tennis Association (ATTA) has selected four players to undergo training in the USA.
Disclosing this in a press conference, ATTA president and State Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain said Sanjana Sarma of Sivasagar, Kakoli Lahkar of Guwahati, Chinku Rajkhowa of Duliajan and Sankab Gautam Baruah of Golaghat have been spotted by the ATTA for a three-month advanced training at California. They will stay at the India Community Centre (ICC) and will train under Mazimo of China and Stellan Bengson of Sweden. Hussain further informed that another Assam player, Anal Kashyap, is already there in California and doing well in local tournaments.
The ATTA president further informed that six players � Hrishikesh Bora of Golaghat, Asish Baruah and Subhajit Bhattacharyya of Guwahati, Prabal Saikia of Jorhat, Bastab Vikash Barbaruah of Golaghat and Hrishikesh Gogoi of Dibrugarh � will be sent to Ajmeer to get trained at PSPB TT Academy under a foreign coach.
ATTA secretary Tridib Duvarah said all the expenditure of four players will be borne by the ICC there in California and the ATTA is arranging the air tickets for the players. Today Hussain and Nazira MLA Debabrata Saikia, who was also present in the press conference handed over the tickets to the players. Sankab, however, is yet to get his visa.
Duvarah, also informed that the ATTA will provide tables and robots to the affiliated districts free of cost and all the players will get ply and rubbers in subsidised rates. They are also trying to invite the Chinese coach of PSPB to Assam for atleast two weeks so that the State players can learn the latest techniques of the game.