Takeaway: Sharath Kamal is comfortable that the WTT event is a enormous success.
| Photo Credit: Special association
His marketing campaign within the WTT Star Contender Goa 2023 could have been over on the primary day of the primary draw itself, however Sharath Kamal stayed on until the penultimate day and lent help to the largest desk tennis match in India.
“Not a great tournament for me personally, but (it) feels great that a big WTT event has come to India,” Sharath, additionally the chair of the International Table Tennis Federation’s (ITTF’s) Athlete Commission, mentioned right here on Saturday. “The fact that so many table tennis players have travelled to watch all the star-studded games from various parts of India stresses that the tournament is a huge success.”
The WTT Star Contender event — promoted by Stupa Sports Analytics — is the primary World Table Tennis event to have been staged in India. Petra Sorling, the primary lady ITTF president, additionally turned the primary chief of the federation to go to India.
Sorling’s go to — simply three months after a newly-elected government committee — has taken cost on the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) after an administrative mess for a higher a part of the final two years — is critical contemplating India’s rising stature within the world desk tennis ecosystem.
Sorling admitted that staging of the Star Contender event — seemingly to be not less than a five-year affair — will assist ITTF make inroads into the Indian market.
“No doubt this event is also important for ITTF and WTT. We are looking at new stars coming up. It is important for us as an institution to have a big market like India as part of the overall agenda of table tennis,” Sorling mentioned.
“When badminton was making big strides over here, we were thinking of what we can do over here. After the last year’s – time out, let’s call it that — with the new structure and the new board in place, it’s full speed. Together I am sure we can rule this market as well.”
TTFI secretary-general Kamlesh Mehta assured that the federation will put a full-fledged home calendar in place from the forthcoming season.
“During our next executive committee meeting, we will plan the full calendar. Thanks to the EC’s positive outlook, we will host many more events in future,” he mentioned.
