UPTTA to hold Junior Nationals in December
Over 500 paddlers from all parts of the country would be seen in action in the Junior and Youth National Table Tennis Championships, beginning December 30 here.
This would be for the first time when Uttar Pradesh Table Tennis Association would be hosting of the prestigious domestic event.
Though the Table Tennis Federation of India has mentioned Varanasi as the venue for the sixday championship, UPTTA is yet to confirm the venue.
A final decision to this effect would be taken at the UPTTA’s annual general meeting, scheduled for April 30 here.
“We wish to hold the junior nationals this time, but yet to finalise the venue as besides Varanasi, we have options at Greater Noida and in Lucknow too,” UPTTA secretary Arun Banerjee told HT on Wednesday.
The purpose behind hosting the junior event is also to give a chance to Uttar Pradesh paddlers to showcase their talent before the home crowd as paddlers from the state have consistently been doing well at the national circuit. Over a dozen paddlers of UP, including Sarthak Seth, Divyansh Srivastava, Hardik Paliwal, Suhana Narginari, Kavya Gupta, Pooja Singh, Raghav Priya Goyal, Abhinav Belwal etc. are in the national ranking.
“While deciding on the junior nationals, we also have to finalise the venue for the event as we would require a big hall, where at least 16 tables can be made operational,” he added.
Getting the opportunity to host the event will also help UPTTA enjoy the rights of additional entries too.
“It will be very beneficial for our paddlers. Upcoming youngsters will draw inspirations from the top guns of the country by watching them in action,” said Banerjee, who also happens to be the treasurer of the Table Tennis Federation of India.
Already considered as one of the best hosting units of the TTFI in the country, UPTTA has already conducted as many as three senior nationals in the state, besides organising the prestigious Asian Under-19 Championship here in 2009.
After hosting its first senior nationals in Allahabad in the ’90 s, UPTTA conducted senior nationals in 2000 and 2012.
He, however, claimed that UPTTA also had plans to conduct a senior national ranking championship this time in Allahabad, if the newly constructed international standard badminton hall at the Mayo Hall Sports Complex was ready by December.
“I haven’t seen the venue yet but heard a lot about it. UPTTA can conduct senior national ranking championship to mark the opening of the venue, if the government agrees,” said Banerjee, adding, “”This would also be an opportunity for Indian paddlers to see the top class venue in Uttar Pradesh too.”
The UPTTA’s AGM would also announce the annual calendar of events of the state body.