Thursday, May 4, 2017

Coal India-SAI National TT Academy MoU signed


New Delhi, May 4: Taking yet another positive step, the Sports Authority of India (SAI), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Coal India Limited (CIL) and the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) for an ultramodern all-encompassing academy, to be set up in Kolkata.

The MoU is initially for a period eight years and could be extended on mutual agreement of the parties concerned and it was signed by Roque Dias, Executive Director (Special Project Cell), S.N. Singh, General Manager CIL and Dushyant Chautala, MP and president of TTFI at Shastri Bhavan on Tuesday in the presence of Injeti Srinivas, Secretary Sports and SAI Director General, Suthirtha Bhattacharya, CIL Chairman-cum-Managing Director and M.P. Singh, Secretary General of TTFI.

Named Coal India-SAI National Table Tennis Academy, it will start functioning from Kolkata’s Salt Lake Stadium premises of SAI, with Coal India pumping in over Rs. 7 crore towards constructing a training centre that can accommodate 24 tables and house 48 residential trainees, all in the age group of 10-14 years. But come August, the academy will be able to induct 24 residential trainees before gradually increasing its capacity to 48, according to the MoU.

SAI, on its part, will provide adequate space within its Netaji Subhas Eastern Centre at Salt Lake to construct the training centre with all modern facilities, besides appointing support staff, coaches, making available a complete scientific support, flooring, etc. 

Under the MoU, SAI is expected to meet the obligation of appointing two officials, seven coaches, a two-member staff and eight sparring partners, including some from abroad. The space provided for hostel at its premises will be large enough to comfortably accommodate 50 trainees with separate floors for boys and girls.  

CIL, on the other hand, will support the cause financially under CSR and take care of all capital expenditure and sports equipment and other operating costs for the initial period of three years which is extendable.

“We have been funding various other sports projects under CSR. We are happy to be associated in this academy, which is will be one of its kind in India,” said CIL’s Singh after signing the MoU.

It will be TTFI’s duty to provide all technical assistances, including helping in talent scouting, establishing periodical tie-ups with international coaches and granting affiliation to the academy in order to help its trainees participate in all national ranking championships under the Academy banner. 

This, in turn, will mean that the academy boys are eligible for international exposure as and when selected.

“All parameters to check the quality of coaches and experts and periodical review of trainees will be in place,” said TTFI president Dushyant Chautala.

Since the academy is residential in nature, it will provide for schooling of all its trainees, possibly adopting the open school method with provisions to monitor and supervise the academic progress of trainees on a regular basis.

“As per SAI policy, our idea is to promote all Olympic disciplines because we want a steady stream of international quality players. So table tennis has very good potential and this academy will be one such hub to produce quality players, We also arrange national and international workshops, seminars for trainees, coaches and technical officials to update their knowledge,” said the SAI Executive Director.

Picture caption: 
Sports Secretary Injeti Srinivas, TTFI President Dushyant Chautala and S.N. Singh of CIL afer signing the MoU at Shastri Bhavan as TTFI Secretary  General M.P. Singh and CIL chairman Suthirtha Bhattacharyna look on.


 TTFI release

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