City celebrates World TT Day with events and felicitations

The game moved from its indoor confines, into the open and the public’s midst to celebrate World Table Tennis Day! On Friday, hundreds of walkers stopped for a new spectacle in the parking lot facing Visakhapatnam’s Beach Road YMCA. A table was set up on which school, college students, juniors, seniors and veterans played exhibition matches. The weather proved sporting too, the breeze from the Bay of Bengal choosing not to hinder the many rallies that marked the exchanges.

Curious onlookers received pamphlets detailing benefits of the sport, the favourite of billionaires Bill Gates and Warren Buffet. The display had its desired effect. Many were keen to enrol their children in various coaching schemes spread across the port city.

T.S. Anand Rao and K. Anand Kumar, who between them clinched a golden treble in the over-70 category at the recent Jaipur veterans’ Nationals, were felicitated, as were the district’s 30 promising paddlers selected for various national events. Ten coaches working on training programmes in different institutions were also honoured.

Dr. R V Ramanamurty president, Visakhapatnam District Table Tennis Association (VDTTA) , assured all support for the game’s growth. Towards that end, secretary D.V.S.Y. Sharma announced a slew of tournaments — district inter-institutionals, VPT Chairman’s Cup, LIC Cup, DRM Cup, Little Angels Cup, District Premier League, Sarada Trophy, AP State championships and probably the National-ranking south zone tournament in September.

Backing the initiative were AP Table Tennis Association president V. Bhaskar Ram and secretary S.M. Sultan. T.S.R. Prasad, president, Visakhapatnam District Olympic Association, Dr. S. Sridhar, chairman, SMS Dental Hospital, J. Srinivas Rao, chairman, East Coast Maritime Academy and Tarang, second commandant, CRPF, were present.

 

City celebrates World TT Day with events and felicitations

A three-day Sate Ranking TT Championship being organised by the Visakhapatnam District Table Tennis Association under the aegis of Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association and Sports Authority of Andhra Pradesh at Swarnabharati Indoor on Friday.

A total number of 289 players from 13 districts of the State are participating in the championship and of them 142 are representing host Visakhapatnam district.

The championship was declared open by Visakhapatnam Port Trust Deputy Chairman P.L. Haranadh. In his address, he advised the players to take the ranking seriously as part of their career advancement.

VDTTA president Dr. R V Ramanamurty presided and thanked the players, parents, team referees, coaches and others for their cooperation.

District Olympic Association President T.Harshavardhana Prasad, General Secretary Dr. R V Ramanamurty and Treasurer S.Gopi Krishna were present.