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With an aim to give a major boost to the development of sports and fitness in the city, particularly table tennis, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Tuesday inaugurated the Odisha Table Tennis Academy in Bhubaneswar. On this occasion, he also declared open the 29th State Table Tennis Championship 2023.
The Odisha Table Tennis Academy features a spacious table tennis arena with sixteen TT tables, a well-equipped gymnasium, a weightlifting room, and a chess area. Additionally, there are dedicated spaces for yoga and zumba enthusiasts thus ensuring a holistic approach to fitness and well-being. It will provide a platform to produce a new generation of paddlers from the state. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik said, "With the inauguration of the Odisha Table Tennis Academy we are taking another significant step towards promoting sports excellence in Table Tennis. This academy will not only nurture budding talents but also serve as a hub for recreation and competitive spirit." Chief Minister Patnaik also announced that 33 Table Tennis Centres are being established across indoor halls in the state. The centres will be operational by December 2023 and will have three Table Tennis tables each. Cuttack TT Academy will also be operational shortly with 16 tables. The Chief Minister commended the Odisha State Table Tennis Association, for taking significant strides in promoting Table Tennis in the state and offered all necessary support to produce elite Table Tennis players from the state who can represent India. The TTFI dignitaries Chaudhury and Kamlesh Mehta praised the Chief Minister for his vision for sports and his support towards hosting the Commonwealth TT Championship and the National TT Championships in 2019. Chairman 5T & Nabin Odisha VK Pandian, Sports and Youth Services Minister Tusharkanti Behera, MLA, Bhubaneswar Central Ananta Narayan Jena, Mayor of Bhubaneswar Sulochana Das, DC cum ACS Anu Garg, Sanjay Singh President, OSTTA and Vineel Krishna, Sports Secretary were present on the occasion. (ANI)
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