Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 (UNI) Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated the Odisha Table Tennis Academy in Bhubaneswar and declared open the 29th State Table Tennis Championship 2023.
The Odisha Table Tennis Academy features a spacious table tennis arena with sixteen TT tables, a well-equipped gymnasium, a weightlifting room, and a chess area.
Additionally, there are dedicated spaces for yoga and zumba enthusiasts thus ensuring a holistic approach to fitness and well-being.
It will provide a platform to produce a new generation of paddlers from the state.
Speaking on the occasion, Patnaik said the academy would give a major boost to the development of sports and fitness in the city, particularly Table Tennis.
,
He said with the inauguration of the Odisha Table Tennis Academy Odisha is taking another significant step towards promoting sports excellence in Table Tennis.
This academy, the Chief Minister said, will not only nurture budding talents but also serve as a hub for recreation and competitive spirit.”
He also announced that 33 Table Tennis Centres are being established across indoor halls in the state. The centers will be operational by December 2023 and will have three Table Tennis tables each. Cuttack TT Academy will also be operational shortly with 16 tables.
He commended Odisha State Table Tennis Association, for taking significant strides in promoting Table Tennis in the state and offered all necessary support to produce elite Table Tennis players from the state who can represent India.
The TTFI dignitaries Sh Chaudhury and Sh Kamlesh Mehta praised Patnaik for his vision for sports and his support towards hosting the Commonwealth TT championship and the National TT Championships in 2019.
Chairman 5T and Nabin Odisha VK Pandian, Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera, and several other dignitaries were present on the occasion.
