14 countries to take part in 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship in July

After the successful organisation of the FIH Series Finals in Bhubaneswar, the sports department of the Government of Odisha is now set to welcome 14 Commonwealth Nations for the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship that will be held at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Cuttack. The list of countries participating in the tournament also includes Pakistan. Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, England, Scotland, Wales, Jersey, Australia, Cyprus, South Africa, and Nigeria.

“This championship will see participation from some of the best players from across the globe. Indian paddlers have displayed unprecedented performance at the Asiad and Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the upcoming Championship will be exciting for all to watch. We look forward to welcoming the teams and its officials to Odisha,” sports minister of the state Tusharkanti Behera stated.

The state government through the Department of Sports and Youth Services (DSYS) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and the Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA) to host the event later this month.  The MoU covered various obligations for the official conduct of the event.

“Today’s MoU signing for hosting the 21st edition of the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships in Cuttack is an important step for us in promoting sports and especially Table Tennis in the state. I congratulate TT Federation of India and the Odisha State TT Association for partnering with our Government in hosting this prestigious event. I hope this event will bring renewed focus on Table Tennis, in which India has been performing well in recent times. I extend my best wishes to the participating teams,” Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik said.

Director of International Table Tennis Federation and TTFI advisor Dhanraj Choudhary thanked the state government for organizing the event and said that he is confident of a positive experience.

“Odisha, with its finest sports infrastructure and expertise has a global recognition today for hosting international sporting events of repute. We are thankful to the State Government for organising this six-day Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. We are confident participants and spectators will leave with a positive experience,” said Choudhary.

“Odisha TT team is ranked 10 in the country and an international Table Tennis event in the home state is very encouraging for our players. They will get to witness great games, skills and tactics which they can observe and leverage in their individual performances. We are thankful to the State Government for taking a lead in promoting the sport," OSTTA President L. N. Gupta.

The event concluding on July 22 will include Men’s Team Championship (Home Association’s Cup), Women’s Team Championship (India Cup), Men’s Singles (Singapore Cup), Women’s Singles (Oceania Cup), Women’s Doubles (Canada Cup), Men’s Doubles (Hong Kong Cup) and Mixed Doubles (Guernsey Cup).