Table tennis is one of the most played sport in India. It is extremely popular among the young of this country. But surprisingly the players have not been able to make a mark in the world arena. In this blog I will try and discuss the performances and short comings of table tennis in India.
It is so disappointing to see that one of the most played sport in our country has not won a single medal in Olympics and World Championships. It is the only sport which has this track record. The only place where Indian table tennis players have performed is in the Common Wealth Games.In Commonwealth Games, India has a medal tally of 12 medals which include 4 gold, 1 silver and 7 bronze medals. In a game dominated by Chinese and European players, till date India has been able to produce only one player in top 50 i. e. Sharath Kamal. But why are Indian players not able to perform in world stage?
Ironically this sport is one of the most played sports in the country but is not that popular.By not popular,I mean you won't see people talking about table tennis,neither would you see media covering this sport.In fact any common man of this country even cannot name a single table tennis player.The Table Tennis Federation of India is responsible for this.India has not hosted a single big table tennis event after 1987(which was the World Championships).There is a lack of awareness among people for this sport.There are only 7 or 8 domestic events held for table tennis in a year.There is surely a need to improve the number of tournaments.In fact Sharath Kamal is a part of a European club and constantly gets an international exposure ,which has helped him.There is a need to host more tournaments so as to reach out the masses.Secondly the game of table tennis is full of skill and there is a huge shortage of skilled table tennis coaches as the root level.Thirdly ,we have to rely a lot on International coaches,which keep on changing and makes it difficult to adjust for the players.
Finally there is a lot that can been done for table tennis.This is a game that is played extensively among masses.PSU's are very vigilant in figuring out good table tennis players and giving them sponsorships.The recently held Ultimate Table Tennis League must have given the players at least exposure and chance to play with and against top players.The problems for this game are short term and could be overcome within few years,only a good intent is required to make Indian table tennis better which I am sure will be done.
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