KOCHI, DECEMBER 7, 2011: With all top paddlers confirming participation the prospects of a mouth-watering fare is on cards in the team events of the New India Assurance 73rd Cadet and Sub-Junior National and Inter-State Table Tennis Championships, getting underway here at the RSC Indoor Stadium from Thursday.
If West Bengal boys had shown the upper hand in both the sub-junior and Cadet sections by winning the titles, it was the Andhra Pradesh girls who beat their rivals to claim the crowns in the two categories last year. The players of the two states, though here to better their performance, will have to do a lot of hard work with steely determination to retain the titles.
The West Bengal boys particularly will have to tackle the rampaging PSPB boys who have higher-ranked players in their squads while it could be a toss-up for the top honours in the sub-junior girls section for all the three states—holders Andhra, West and North Bengals. Incidentally, the North Bengal team has some top girls who could upset even the best in business on a given day.
As for the Cadet boys, West Bengal have a headache of sorts in their immediate rival North Bengal whose prowess on the table is seeing an upswing. The paddlers from West Bengal are wary of the fact but they will also have to contend with the likes of Gujarat and Delhi, with the boys representing the two states having shown promise in the recent zonals.
Similarly, the Cadet girls of Andhra will have to think about a proper game plan and execute it in perfection as their opponents from West Bengal and Tamil Nadu will be breathing down their neck all the time. Both the West Bengal and Tamil Nadu girls have done exceedingly well in the recent meets to show their mettle. That is something which should give a worry or two to the title holders.
However, all these teams will have little to worry about as they are expected top quality for the next round with two top teams in each group making it to the main draw. Similar should be the case with all group leaders and they are expected to sail through.
Whatever the case, all the teams know full well the implications of winning the championships and picking the vital points and, of course, some handsome prize money on offer. The total prize purse being Rs 201,900, the team championships will set the right tone for the individual events that follow immediately in all the sections.
The sub-junior singles winners in the boys section will receive Rs 26,000 while the girl will take home Rs 22,000. In Cadet section, the boy who wins the crown will get Rs 18,000 while the girls Rs 15,000 with the money distributed up to the eighth position in all sections.
A TTFI Press Release
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