Bhubaneswar: After the grand success of FIH Men's Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, Odisha is all set to host its first ever Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship in Cuttack. The 21st edition of the international tournament will be held at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack from July 17 to July 22.
For this, the Nehru Stadium in Cuttack has undergone complete makeover and the preparations by the Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) for hosting the mega event have reached final stages.
While the renovation work of the players' dressing rooms, galleries and VIP boxes is over, the lighting work and wall painting in the stadium premises are in final stage. Similarly, the roads leading to the stadium are also being repaired and beautified on a war footing.
In-Charge of Indoor Stadium, Ajay Behera said, “The ongoing renovation and beatification works have reached final stage. There are 30 blocks and 8 gates in the stadium. Special facilities have been made for the fans.”
The tournament is being jointly organized with the initiative of Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF). As many as 14 teams including India, Australia, England Sri Lanka, South Africa, Bangladesh and Nigeria will take part in the championship.
The online sale of tickets for the tournament has begun while counter sale of tickets is expected to start soon. The tickets have been priced between Rs 50 and Rs 400.
“Till date, 14 teams have sent confirmation regarding their participation in the tournament. Only two teams- Uganda & Jersey have cancelled their visit due to some Visa-related issues. There are around 200 participants including players and officials. Pakistan has sent its entry but as there are some visa issues, they have not sent details regarding timing of their arrival and departure,” informed OSTTA Secretary Rabindra Parida.
“This is a big event for the students and budding table tennis players of Odisha as they can watch international as well as Indian players playing against each other in the championship,” said OSTTA Coach Raj Subramanium.