Odisha to set up Table Tennis academies: CM

Bhubaneswar: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik announced setting up of Table Tennis academies in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and TT training centres across the State.

Naveen said this when a delegation of International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) and International Table Tennis Federation Foundation met him on Sunday. The Chief Minister informed the delegation of the State government's decision to set up Table Tennis academies in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack and also table tennis training centres across all the indoor halls in theState. He sought their help in coaches training programmes and hosting international TT events in Odisha.

The delegation included ITTF and ITTF Foundation President Petra Sorling, ITTF Foundation Director Leandro Olvech, ITTF Foundation Programme Manager Saurabh Mishra and ITTF Foundation Programme Coordinator Julia Tappendorf.

Sörling presented to the Chief Minister the table tennis for development handbook on using table tennis for social change.

Naveen praised the effort of the ITTF to promote table tennis in the State and country and assured them of all support.

An official statement issued by the CMO said the delegation expressed their delight and keenness to be in Odisha and work closely with the government and support the State's endeavour to grow the sport of table tennis.

Meanwhile, a team of delegates, led by the Director, Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage (OFCH), also met the Chief Minister on Sunday and discussed the Olympic Values Education Programme (OVEP) being implemented in the State.The members appreciated the support extended by the Chief Minister and Odisha government in making this unique programme a success.

Odisha was the first State to implement OVEP in India and had launched the initiative in May 2022. Since then, 32,000 young children have been impacted by this programme which was introduced in 90 schools across Bhubaneswar and Rourkela. The programme is all set to scale up and impact more than 1.5 lakh students in 250 schools in Odisha.

The Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage will be visiting the OVEP intervened school in Bhubaneswar on April 3 and 4.The initiative is being implemented in collaboration with Odisha's School and Mass Education (SME) department andAbhinav Bindra Foundation Trust.

The delegates were delighted by the decision of the Chief Minister to support the Olympic Forest Network programme of the IOC through more than 1 million tree plantations this year.During the meeting, Naveen handed over the delegation a letter inviting IOC President Thomas Bach to Odisha when he comes to India for the IOC session in Mumbai later this year in October.