Kolkata, Jan 16 (IBNS) The stage is all set for the 72nd senior national and inter-state table tennis championship with Petroleum Sports Promotion Board ( PSPB) getting top billing both in the men and women team events which begins at Netaji Indoor stadium here Monday.
Briefing media persons here Sunday evening, chairman of the eorgaanising committee of the championship and former Lok Sabha speaker Somnath Chatterjee informed that two institutional teams- Railway Sports Control Board (RSCB) and Air India- have qualified this time to play in the national championship.
Chatterjee said a total of 30 teams from 28 states along with PSPB and RSCB will vie for the top honours in men section . The women section would see 26 teams from 24 states and a couple of units including Air India and PSPB fighting it out among themselves to emerge champions this time.
He said that most of the top players in the country, including Achanta Sarath Kamal , Saumyadeep Roy, Subhajit Saha, A Amalraj, Saurav Chakrabarty, Anirban Nundy, Sunil Shetty Soumyajit Ghosh among men and Mouma Das, K Shamini, Mamta Prabhu, Madhurika Patkar, Divya Deshpande will be seen in action in this meet which would conclude on Jan 23.
Chatterjee intimated that the organisingn committee with approval from Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) have enhanced the prize money for the women competitiors who would received the purse same like their male counterparts.
For the singles winners it would be Rs.1,87,000 . 00. TTFI have assured the committee that the ame rate would continue henceforth.
To sharpen the talents for the budding paddlers TTFI is arranging a 21- day residential coaching scheme at its academy in Indore from April next.Besides top Indian players, coaches from abroad would also impart practical training in these courses.
(Reporting by Manik Banerjee)