TTFI addresses issue of top players skipping domestic events, gives affiliation to KTTA

GUWAHATI: The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) addressed the issue of top players skipping domestic tournaments and revised the selection criteria, in its Executive Committee meeting here.

The Executive Committee, which met here Saturday, took over a dozen important decisions, including revising the selection criteria as well as addressing the issue of top-ranked players skipping domestic events on a regular basis.

The committee brought in some stringent measures which will help exceptional players, otherwise ignored because of lack of national and international ranking points, getting a look-in by the selectors for team India squads in the future.

The committee also introduced new clauses to the policies which, while protecting the players' interests, have made it mandatory for top-ranked players competing in a certain number of domestic events as well as national championships.

In a major decision, the TTFI decided unanimously to disaffiliate Kerala Table Tennis Association (KTTA) following complaints from district associations.

TTFI, which had issued a show cause notice to KTTA as per norms, setting a deadline for its response, has to take this drastic step after the parent body failed to get any satisfactory reply.

But with a majority of districts already breaking away from KTTA to form Table Tennis Association of Kerala (TTAK), the new body was given affiliation after it went through the proper procedures as cited in TTFI bylaws, rules and regulations as well as guidelines.

The new affiliation empowers TTAK to proceed with the conduct of state ranking tournaments and send teams for TTFI conducted championships from now on.

Two other associations from Sikkim and Daman & Diu were given provision affiliations to promote table tennis in these states. Nagaland was also readmitted into the TTFI fold after the north-eastern state corrected the anomalies.

However, the issue of Tamil Nadu Table Tennis Association (TNTTA) still remained unresolved because of the litigation between two parties in the state.

A V Vidyasagar who was present at the meeting as purportedly elected secretary of TNTTA has been given a month's time to reach out to the parties concerned for a compromise, especially its district affiliates, or go for a fresh election after necessarily registering the body under the Registrar of Societies Act, amending TNTTA'S constitution and bylaws in tune with TTFI'S bylaws, rules and regulations as well as guidelines.

Vidyasagar, taking the committee's advice in the right spirit, assured the members that he will comply with the suggestions within the given timeframe. BENGALURU: Bengaluru FC got their Indian Super League campaign off to a perfect start with a 1-0 win over defending champions Chennaiyin FC at the Sree Kanteerava stadium here on Sunday.

In what was a repeat of last season's final at the same venue, Miku's 41st minute strike was enough for the Blues to overcome the visitors' challenge.

Chennaiyin FC will be disappointed as they got nothing out of this game, particularly after they were gifted two gildedge chances to take the lead.

Bengaluru, though, were quick to get off the blocks with Eric Paartalu being gifted an excellent chance as early as the third minute.

After some scrappy play in the Chennaiyin box following a throw-in by Rahul Bheke, the loose ball fell to the Australian midfielder's feet but his snap shot was aimed straight at goalkeeper Karanjit Singh.

The visitors started to gain a foothold in the match through their quick breaks as the minutes wore on and they should have drawn first blood midway into the game.

Bengaluru were seeing plenty of the ball but failed to make it count while Chennaiyin continued to look dangerous on the break.

Another Bheke mistake around the half-an-hour mark almost gifted Chennaiyin with a goal after his poor back-pass was intercepted by Jeje. The offbalance Chennaiyin forward had only Gurpreet to beat but

lost his footing. Gurpreet then pulled off a fine save from a long-distance effort by Germanpreet before Bengaluru took the lead against the run of play.

Xisco Hernandez won the ball following a midfield scrap and quickly released Miku behind the Chennaiyin defence with a perfectly weighted pass.

The Venezuelan striker unleashed a thunderbolt of a shot which, despite being aimed at Karanjit's near post,

left the Chennaiyin goalkeeper with no chance. The visitors came close to grabbing an equaliser straight after the interval following a long-throw into the Bengaluru box.