The Coimbatore District Veterans Table Tennis Association hosted the "First Annual Open Interstate Level Veterans Table Tennis Tournament" at the Coimbatore Cosmopolitan Club in Race Course on the 26th & 27th of August 2017. A total of 103 participants from Andhra, Karnataka, Kerala, Pondicherry, Tamilnadu and Telangana participated in this historic tournament. It was heartening to learn that 11 of the veterans had recently been to Sri Lanka in order to participate in a tournament! The club was buzzing with activity for 2 days and the players felt at home in Coimbatore. The umpiring was done by the energetic youngsters Pragadesh, Sathya, Arun, Anand, Hari and Dinesh. All of them but one (who was 32 years) were under 21 years of age while the players were 40 years and above.
The organisers were from Coimbatore who represented the association were President - Balashanmugham, Secretary - Sunith Kumar, Treasurer - Ramesh, veteran player Ellyas Lehry, Shankar Manivannan and Thilagam. While 55 year old Sunith Kumar of Coimbatore won the 40 plus category, Kalyanaraman of Chennai won the 50 plus category, Subramaniam of Chennai won the 60 plus category, Premkumar of Chennai won the 65 plus category, Surendranath and Swaminathan of Chennai won the Doubles category and Suganya of Andhra Pradesh won the women's category. Veteran player Rajagopal (82 years) of Chennai attended the event.
Everyone had a whale of a time for 2 days and the participants showered encomiums on the hosts and the people of Coimbatore. They opined that it was a top class tournament and expressed a desire to participate year after year. It was a pleasure to watch Ellyas Lehry move in a rapid pace and the swift game of Sunith Kumar drew the attention of one and all. The Cosmopolitan Club had done its best for the matches by providing excellent food and snacks to the players. Player Vijayaraghavan of Chennai is over 60 years of age and he has just begun to play in the last 6 months. Surendranath of Chennai was happy to share some facts, "I have been a coach for several years and I produced 2 international players - Srivatsa Chakravarthy who happens to be a great grandson of Rajaji and Sudeshna Biswas. Besides I have created a number of leading players at the district and state level. Nowadays I have become a coach for veterans."
Kalyanaraman of Madurai had won a bronze at Sri Lanka recently in a tournament which had participants from Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives, Pakistan and India. Several of the players are leading coaches and champions in their own right. Anantharaj (73 years) was the senior most participant and 70 year old Vangaveti Sivasastri Sai of Aruvankadu was delighted to talk, "I retired from the Cordite factory and have been a second generation employee of the factory. I have played the game for decades and I wish to come back next year." He has been an international umpire too. Motivating words indeed. The entire tournament had been designed by Sunith Kumar and the players had to win in a best of 5 in order to be declared as winners. The simple and homely approach paid rich dividends and won a good name for Coimbatore.
The tic toc of the Table Tennis balls, the swift and alert movement of the players who played marvellously in spite of their age was fantastic and the good after taste will sure create more such events at Coimbatore.