17 countries join Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship

IANS

Mumbai, Sep 7 (IANS)

World no.1 Fan Zhendong (China) and Hoikem Doo (Hong Kong), will headline the 20th Asian Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Championships to be held from Sep 12-16.

The Asian Junior Table Tennis Championship (AJTTC2014) is one of the most prestigious events of the world junior table tennis circuit.

It will be held under the auspices of the Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU), Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), Maharashtra State Table Tennis Association (MSTTA) and organised by the Mumbai City District Table Tennis Association (MCDTTA).

A total of 17 countries are in the fray.

Singapore, Japan, North Korea, Thailand, Iran, South Korea, China, Bahrain, Hong Kong, Iraq, Qatar, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Chinese Taipei, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and hosts India will compete in the championship.

"In India, over one lakh players are associated with it professionally, and another two lakh play the sport as a hobby," said Kamlesh Mehta, India's most celebrated table tennis player and the organising secretary of the AJTTC2014.

"Hosting the 20th edition of the championship, an event that will see the world's top players, is very prestigious for us. This is the first time such a major event is coming to Mumbai, Maharashtra," he added.

Slated at the Sardar Vallabhai Patel Stadium, National Sports Club of India, Worli, Sep 12-16, the tournament will see about 200 players from all over the world, including about 30 participants from India.

Edited by Staff Editor