Despite the storm caused by the Sports Ministry’s suspension of grants to the federation, the season opens as scheduled with the domestic UTT National Ranking Table Tennis Championships in Kanpur at the famous Sports Hub facility, marking a major event for this industrial city.
Brushing aside all apprehensions, 1900 players have entered 3,150 events across 12 categories, providing vital support to the organisers, the Uttar Pradesh Table Tennis Association (UPTTA), and, by extension, the TTFI, as they pursue their career ambitions.
That has, however, left the competition department members scratching their heads about a hectic 9 am to 10 pm schedule of about 4200 matches — from the group stages to the knockouts — over the next eight days, as the first sets of group matches get underway in the Under-11 and Under-13 boys’ and girls’ sections from Sunday.
All top men’s and women’s players, except Harmeet Desai, will be in action, and the preparation here should serve those players well before the squad for the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in Japan departs for other preparatory events. The championships and the challenges they pose will be highly beneficial to them.
But there are no such inhibitions for the others competing in different categories; they will be as prepared as they need to be before the season, since they begin with a clean slate and want to prove a point or two. A good start to the season always brings the desired momentum, if not results, for individuals, while giving them a reason to assess their strengths and weaknesses and the opponents they encounter event after event throughout the season.
For the Under-11 paddlers, the event offers a steppingstone to launch their careers, hone their skills, and prepare for the tougher tests ahead. However, the Under-13 boys and girls, having already been through baptism by fire, would be level-headed and put forth earnest effort. The next level of competition among the Under-15 boys and girls will showcase how they are shaping up for the future, whether their potential is being spent in the right way and to the right measure, as they hold the future of table tennis in India.
The Under-17 and Under-19 events always bring out the best in paddlers, fostering healthy competition. They have to carve out a path to the next level even as they battle it out in the men’s and women’s singles, giving them a competitive edge.
But the most-followed marquee events of the championships are the men’s and women’s singles, and a good start to the season gives individuals an opportunity to iron out flaws, especially against their peers, and to prepare to be battle-ready for the upcoming events. With a well-settled field among the men and women entered here, the knockout matches will be as intense as possible. But they will all face stiff challenges from some of the booming guns in the Under-17 sections. The top players are wary of them and will be extra careful.
Meanwhile, the competition department will use Stag equipment, including 24 tables, flooring, and balls, for the championships. The championships will be conducted under the supervision of competition manager N Ganeshan, with AS Kler as referee and Mangesh Mopkar, KR Manjunatha, R Krishna Kumar, and Atin Rastogi as his deputies. They will be supported by 60 Blue Badge, International, and National umpires.
