AHMEDABAD, April 7: It was an evening to remember as Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA) celebrated World Table Tennis Day on April 6, 2022, felicitating the players who triumphed over many adversities and became a beacon of hope for many others through their performance on the table in the post pandemic world.
In a star-studded ceremony attended by the top officials from the state association including GSTTA president Mr Vipul Mittra, vice-presidents Mr. Pradeepsinh Chudasama and Mrs. Jayaben Thakkar, an eminent industrialist and an avid TT enthusiast Ashish Soparkar along with prominent guest and senior IAS official Mr Alok Kumar Pandey and present and future talents of the state, GSTTA felicitated its star Paralympian Bhavina Patel for her historic silver medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games with a cash award of Rs 5 lakhs.
Incidentally, the indomitable Bhavina also became the first-ever para star to be adjudged as the Best Overall Player by the GSTTA at the Rajpath Club on Wednesday.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Mittra, IAS, said, “Under the current government, a conscious effort is being made to change the perception about sports in the state. It is heartening to see that the efforts are bearing fruits as sports stars from the state are now shining on the world stage. We have also seen there is a steady development of a robust sports culture in the state.”
Highlighting the role of media, Mr. Mittra said, “I believe media has an important role to play in the development of sports culture. Instead of focussing on one or two sports, the media can highlight the achievements of sportspersons from across the sport and inspire them to pick up some sport.
“At the same time, it is important that sportspersons were given jobs under the sports quota. This will help sportspersons focus on the sports they play and not get distracted by worrying about their future.”
Showcasing his plans for GSTTA, Mr. Mittra said, “I am happy that GSTTA is being able to help grow the sport in the state without any agenda and keeping the players’ interest as paramount.”
“As we are restarting our lives in the post-COVID world, our priorities are to take the sport back to the grassroots level. We hope to revive district as well as taluka level tournaments and ensure that all districts and talukas have tournaments which, in turn, will help us tap the untapped potential,” Mr. Mittra said.
It was a day of celebration of the sport as the state association handed out 64 trophies along with gifts to players who had raised the bar with some inspiring performances at various levels. The association also provided kits to the members of the senior team during the function.
While COVID-19 restrictions mean GSTTA could not celebrate World Table Tennis Day for two years, on Wednesday it decided to celebrate inspired performances for the year 2019-20, 2020-21 and 2021-22.
Among the prominent names, international star Harmeet Desai was adjudged as the best overall player and best men’s player for the 2019-20 season while rising star Manush Shah was adjudged as the best Youth Boy player for the same season.
Manush was named as the best men’s player for the 2020-21 season while the latest Indian sensation Manav Thakkar was named as the best overall player.
For the 2021-22 season, Harmeet was adjudged as the best male player while his wife Krittwika Sinha Roy was named as the best female player.
There was more joy for the Desai household as Harmeet’s elder brother Hriday was adjudged as the best coach in the cadet and sub junior category.
Meanwhile, Frenaz Chipia stamped her authority by winning the best women player award for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons.
Written by : Pranjal Protim Boruah