Port Blair, June 19: The One month long summer Table Tennis (TT) coaching camp concluded on Monday,18, June, 2018 at the YMCA Multi-Purpose Hall, Port Blair.
The camp has been jointly organised by Andaman Nicobar Islands Table Tennis Association (ANITTA) & Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA).
In the Valedictory programme, Er. Suneel Anchipaka, Secretary, Port Blair Municipal Council (PBMC) was the Chief Guest. Initially he appreciated the efforts of ANITTA & YMCA in coming together to organise such a vital event promoting health and fitness as it is very much lacking in the current scenario especially among the school & college going students. He also assured that all possible support will be provided by the PBMC in promoting the players and the game so as to have a young and healthy generation to take the islands and the country forward. He also informed the gathering that he too was a TT player during his years at the IIT. The Chief Guest also distributed participation certificates to the coaching camp trainees. Presidents of ANITTA & YMCA, Vice Presidents of ANITTA Er. Deepak Govind and Mr. I K Khurana, Executive Committee member of ANITTA Er. Manohar Lal & Mr. Edward, Secretary, YMCA also participated in giving away certificates. Media houses were also present on the occasion for media coverage. Other prominent guests who were present there, along with around 40 trainees and their parents, were Directors of YMCA Mr. Herbert Caldwell & Er. Usha Stephen.
At the outset, Er. Sunil K. Sreedharan, President, ANITTA welcomed the Secretary, PBMC with a bouquet & informed the gathering in brief about the coaching camp and the active role of Chief Coach, Mr. Anil Arnold Reddy, a State Champion many times and also a National level player ably supported by Er. Deepak Govind, Vice-President of ANITTA & a avid TT player of top level who had represented the islands in the All India YMCA TT tournaments, also a State Champion & National level player, in making the camp a resounding success. He also reiterated ANITTAs commitment to nurture the talent and go the whole hog with promising talented TT players, of taking them upto National or International levels by providing them coaching and allied support at all levels. He also made a fervent pitch for an exclusive premises for ANITTA so that continuous inputs could be provided to the raw, budding, upcoming and promising players and different levels of tournaments could be held to make the players realise their true standing so that they could strive to improve their imperfections.
Mr. Biju Thomas Jacob, President, YMCA, a TT player and sports enthusiast, also welcomed the Chief Guest with a bouquet and appreciated the coordination between YMCA & ANITTA especially the personnel directly involved, viz., Chief Coach Mr. Anil Arnold Reddy and the coaching camp participants to make the camp truly successful.
Er. Johnson Abraham one of the founder members of ANITTA started the ceremony with his Welcome speech and said that TT is an all weather sport as it can be played throughout the year come rain or shine and in the long run will give the player a healthy life alongwith other gains from the game. Chief Coach Mr. Anil Arnold Reddy who is a noted state & National TT player too, briefed the gathering about the stage wise training imparted to the camp trainees and the use of the Mini TT table especially for the 5 to 10 years age group trainees and for the senior players for improving control of the game. He further informed that the camp facilities for practice will be available at the same venue between 4 and 5pm for juniors and between 5 and 6pm for seniors up till end of summer vacation.
Trainees Ms. Sherin Johnson & Master Anurag Kullu related their positive experience during the camp & requested ANITTA & YMCA for organising more such beneficial events for the betterment of TT and its players. The programme came to an end with the vote of thanks by Secretary, YMCA.
