Table tennis competitions begin

Kakinada: The much-awaited AP Inter-District & State Championship Table Tennis Tournament 2024 began at the Sita Narasim-ha Kshetra Multi-Purpose Hall of Sri Prakash Synergy School here on Friday.

The competitions were held under the auspices of Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association (APTTA) and organised by Kakinada Table Tennis Association (KTTA) under the chairmanship of APTTA chairman V Bhaskar Ram, honorary chairman of KTTA Rao Chinnarao, and other key leaders KVS Prakash Rao and P Viswanath.

Kakinada Rural MLA Pantham Venkateswara Rao (Nanaji) graced the occasion. He said that these competitions would showcase skills of the players and a thrilling display of talent.

TREA president BV Krishna Rao and Kakinada Seaports Limited chief executive officer Merla Muralidhar participat-ed as the guests of honour. They stressed the importance of such platforms in nurturing young talent and fostering camaraderie among the sportspersons.

Parents of the students and several city dignitaries who came to witness the game appreciated the enthusiasm of the sportspersons. Sri Prakash Educational Institutions Di-rector Ch Vijay Prakash said that they will always be at the forefront not only in education but also in bringing out the talent of the sportspersons.

About 230 players from 12 districts and 35 referees who are national and international experts are participating in these competitions. The selected players will qualify to play at the national level. Meanwhile, the dance forms, Silambam, and rope skipping performed during this programme impressed the audience.