TTFI to open national academy to produce world-class players

NEW DELHI - With an eye to the future and to produce a steady stream of international players, the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) is all set to open a national academy in Indore by April next year.

Abhay Prashal Indoor Stadium in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, is the chosen venue for the academy. It will be the first national academy for the sport as the existing one in Ajmer is accessible only to players of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB).

The highlight of the academy will be training throughout the year for the Indian players, ranging from the cadet (under-12) to the junior level (under-17) so as to nurture young talent. The camps for the senior teams will also be organised. Camps in all categories will be held under the supervision of a foreign coach.

The training centre is allotted to the TTFI by the Madhya Pradesh Table Tennis Association (MPTTA).

“The idea behind this move is to teach the right technique to the players in the initial stages so that by the time they are in the national side they are well-versed with the basics of the game,” Dhanraj Choudhary, TTFI secretary, told IANS.

“For this, we will have a foreign coach along with an Indian coach. The camp duration will be of 15 days on a rotational basis and will be held for most part of the year, barring the exam time,” he said.

The TTFI is looking for a Chinese coach for the juniors and a Euroepan to take care of the senior team.

The boarding and lodging expenses of the players will be borne by the TTFI while MPTTA will take care of the maintenance of the venue.

World No.48 Sharath Kamal is the highest-ranked Indian and often the country’s lacklustre performance in international events is attributed to the lack of quality players. Amalraj Anthony, ranked 175th, is the next best in the current side. Mouma Das at 198 is the highest ranked Indian woman in the world rankings.

The officials and former players believe the national academy could produce a bunch of international players in the years to come.

“It is certainly a step in the right direction,” said eight-time national champion Kamlesh Mehta, who is best known for his four silver and four bronze medals in the Commonwealth championships.

“The intention is to improve the standard of table tennis and produce champion players. Earlier, I was the only one in the top-100 and now it is Sharath. The way we can change this is by giving a strong foundation to the juniors,” he said.