Tamil Nadu - Tiruchi   

Young players are in need of more sponsorships

G. Prasad

To conduct table tennis tournaments regularly, says association

IDEAL TEAM: Winners of the district ranking table tennis tournaments. — Photo: R. Ashok.

TIRUCHI : The district ranking table tennis tournaments provide ideal opportunities for youngsters to gain match practice and also acclimatise themselves to pressure situations.

The event conducted by the Tiruchi District Table Tennis Association (TDTTA) that concluded here recently saw participation of more than 300 paddlers in different age categories.

S. Hariharasudan of E.R. Higher Secondary School and G.D. Sarojini of Seethalakshmi Ramaswami College won titles in the highly competitive men's and women's sections respectively.

"The standard of the players has improved considerably and more youngsters are showing interest in taking up table tennis. It is indeed a good sign," says the secretary of TDTTA, R. Jayaraman.

Although the Tiruchi paddlers gave their best at the State-ranking tournament at Dalmiapuram last year, they were well behind the players from Chennai.

"Our association is working hard to reduce the gap in the performance levels and also has plans to conduct regular coaching camps to nurture young talent," Mr. Jayaraman adds.

Although the game has attracted sponsorships in recent times, still there is a need for more sponsors to conduct tournaments on a regular basis.

"Apart from talent, the players also need to have quality rackets to compete in the State and national tournaments. With the cost factor being crucial, the game is beyond the reach of many without sponsorships," says the vice-president of TDTTA, P. Ponnurathinam.

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