Patna, January 11
Opening and closing ceremonies sports organizers want to make a mark of it. The organizers of the 70th senior National and inter-state table championships were not behind to stage an attractive closing function at the Secretariat Sports Club hall here on Sunday evening.
Managed by Advantage Services, the programme sparkled by the tune of BMP band when the winners and runners-up were up on the dais the collect their prizes. Union Chemicals, Fertilisers and Steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan who was the chief guest at the closing function reached the venue with his wife, son Chirag, an up and coming Bollywood star, and about a dozen leaders of his Lok Janjashakti Party (LJP) before start of the men and women singles finals.
It seemed Paswan had enjoyed the game as while speaking on the occasion he narrated a brief story of the final. The Minister gave away men’s singles and team championships trophies and cash awards to the winners and runners-up while his wife handed it over to women team and singles champions.
In all, the organizers had distributed Rs 6.5 lakhs to top eight finishers of men and women’s sections. Hindustan Times Media Limited had sponsored the cash awards.
Besides the mandatory commitment, the organizers came up with some exciting prizes for the players, sponsored by some companies. Rashtriya Sahara, a Hindi daily, presented a LCD Videocon TV set to best men player of the tournament. Pathik Mehta of Gujarat, who played his first ever singles final in senior national table tennis, got the award.
Advantage Group handed over a LCD Videocon TV to best women players of the tournament. Ashlesha Bodas of Maharashtra who sent India number two Neha Aggarwal packing in a pre-quarter-final match, was adjudged the best women player.
Anil Kumar Singh handed over the key of TVS Scooty to women’s singles champion K Shamini while another Hindi daily presented Hero-Honda motorcycle to men’s singles champion Achanta Sharath Kamal. Mrs Chhaya Rao gave away Madhubani paintings to Kamal and Shamini.
The function also unfolded some opportunity for Bihar table tennis as Moolchand Chowhan, Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) secretary general, announced that Patna would host the international table tennis tournament which would be allotted to India this year. He said Mukesh Roy, secretary, BTTA, would be the manager of India team for US tour. Chowhan also invited Sanjay Singh (MLC) and organizing secretary of the meet in the forthcoming general body meeting of the TTFI to be held at Surat on January 20. It is learnt that Sanjay Singh likely to be nominated as TTFI vice-president in the meeting.
Sanjay Singh also felicitated Paswan by presenting him gold TT racket and ball. BTTA president Dr Utpal Kant Singh, vice-president, Prem Kumar, TTFI vice-president MP Singh, treasurer, BK Baba, former international players Kamalesh Mehta, Mir Kasim Ali, former BTTA president Vijay Shankar Mishra, Ashim Chakraborty, Sajal Dutta Gupta and former secretary, All Bihar Chess Association, AR Khan were among others present at the closing function.
Opening and closing ceremonies sports organizers want to make a mark of it. The organizers of the 70th senior National and inter-state table championships were not behind to stage an attractive closing function at the Secretariat Sports Club hall here on Sunday evening.
Managed by Advantage Services, the programme sparkled by the tune of BMP band when the winners and runners-up were up on the dais the collect their prizes. Union Chemicals, Fertilisers and Steel minister Ram Vilas Paswan who was the chief guest at the closing function reached the venue with his wife, son Chirag, an up and coming Bollywood star, and about a dozen leaders of his Lok Janjashakti Party (LJP) before start of the men and women singles finals.
It seemed Paswan had enjoyed the game as while speaking on the occasion he narrated a brief story of the final. The Minister gave away men’s singles and team championships trophies and cash awards to the winners and runners-up while his wife handed it over to women team and singles champions.
In all, the organizers had distributed Rs 6.5 lakhs to top eight finishers of men and women’s sections. Hindustan Times Media Limited had sponsored the cash awards.
Besides the mandatory commitment, the organizers came up with some exciting prizes for the players, sponsored by some companies. Rashtriya Sahara, a Hindi daily, presented a LCD Videocon TV set to best men player of the tournament. Pathik Mehta of Gujarat, who played his first ever singles final in senior national table tennis, got the award.
Advantage Group handed over a LCD Videocon TV to best women players of the tournament. Ashlesha Bodas of Maharashtra who sent India number two Neha Aggarwal packing in a pre-quarter-final match, was adjudged the best women player.
Anil Kumar Singh handed over the key of TVS Scooty to women’s singles champion K Shamini while another Hindi daily presented Hero-Honda motorcycle to men’s singles champion Achanta Sharath Kamal. Mrs Chhaya Rao gave away Madhubani paintings to Kamal and Shamini.
The function also unfolded some opportunity for Bihar table tennis as Moolchand Chowhan, Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) secretary general, announced that Patna would host the international table tennis tournament which would be allotted to India this year. He said Mukesh Roy, secretary, BTTA, would be the manager of India team for US tour. Chowhan also invited Sanjay Singh (MLC) and organizing secretary of the meet in the forthcoming general body meeting of the TTFI to be held at Surat on January 20. It is learnt that Sanjay Singh likely to be nominated as TTFI vice-president in the meeting.
Sanjay Singh also felicitated Paswan by presenting him gold TT racket and ball. BTTA president Dr Utpal Kant Singh, vice-president, Prem Kumar, TTFI vice-president MP Singh, treasurer, BK Baba, former international players Kamalesh Mehta, Mir Kasim Ali, former BTTA president Vijay Shankar Mishra, Ashim Chakraborty, Sajal Dutta Gupta and former secretary, All Bihar Chess Association, AR Khan were among others present at the closing function.
Photo caption: Union Steel Minister Ram Vilas Paswan giving away Sr National TT team championships trophy to PSPB team in Patna on Sunday.
Photo: Aftab Alam
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