By Meghali Talukdar
SHILLONG: The South Asian Federation (SAF) Junior Table Tennis Championship, held at the Indoor Stadium, JN Sports Complex, saw the participation of players from six South Asian countries.
The sporting spirit was not dampened amidst the cut-throat competition. The players and the coaches were satisfied with the facilities provided by the MTTA.
“The facilities were satisfactory and all our needs were addressed on time,” said Ruvini Kannangara, Sri Lanka’s Junior No. 1 ranked player.
The members of the participating teams even had no issues when there was a power failure on Monday which resulted in a half-hour delay.
The Pakistani team faced certain difficulties due to the delay in their visa process which affected their practice sessions.
Some players felt that the journey from Guwahati to Shillong was a tedious one.
“There were lots of turns on the way to Shillong and the roads were zig-zag which made me feel a bit uneasy,” said Spoorthy, a member of the Indian contingent.
The players were fairly happy and satisfied with the accommodation and food. They were impressed with the support and hospitality of the Shillongites.
“The people out here are well-mannered, soft-spoken and very cooperative. People are gentle and polite,” said the Pakistan coach Syed Nadeem Sajid.
Though the team members were busy with their schedule and did not have an opportunity to visit other places in Shillong, yet they were impressed with the scenic beauty that Shillong had to offer.
“Shillong is a beautiful place and the hills and valleys out here remind me of my hometown, Swat,” said Mohammad Rameez Khan, Pakistan’s Junior No. 2 player.
Apart from the facilities, the members of the various teams were also happy with the weather. The playing conditions were considered fantastic by the coaches and the players enjoyed playing here.
On the whole, the SAF Table Tennis Championship, the first ever International Sporting event of the region, was a huge success.
“The event was awesome, excellent, entertaining and at the same time knowledgeable,” said Manita, a player from team Nepal.