200 junior Table Tennis players stuck in Vijayawada amid Cyclone Michaung; participation in Panchkula tournament looming

In the wake of Cyclone Michaung thundering across the east coast states of India, around 200 junior Indian Table Tennis players are stuck in Vijayawada following the conclusion of the UTT National-ranking table tennis championship.

The tournament was held between November 29 and December 5, with both junior and senior players turning up in good numbers, at the Ramakotaiah Indoor Stadium in Vijayawada.

After wreaking havoc in Tamil Nadu, Cyclone Michaung crossed south of Bapatla with a sustained speed of 90-100 kmph, as per a report by The Hindu. This caused heavy rainfall in Vijayawada, which is 84 kilometers away from Bapatla.

According to news agency PTI, a Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) official said that around 200 players between the age groups of U11 and U19 are stuck with their family members in the Andhra Pradesh city.

"We are booked on the Tamil Nadu Express to New Delhi from where we will go to Panchkula. As of now, there’s no update from the Railways. The scheduled time (of departure) here is 4am but we doubt the train will start from Chennai tonight," Mrinmoy Chakraborty, father of the Youth Girls U11 champion Serosree Chakraborty, told PTI.

"There is waterlogging everywhere and it’s been raining incessantly for two-and-a-half days now. It’s very difficult to move out. Flights too stand cancelled. Moreover, it’s difficult to afford flight tickets," Mrinmoy added.

The young paddlers are also concerned over their participation in the next ranking event in Panchkula (December 8-14), which is also the final zonal tournament ahead of the National Championships in the same city.

Akash, Ankolika, Ashvajit And Serosree Win Junior Titles

Tamil Nadu's Akash Rajavelu defeated Aarav Acharya 3-11, 11-4, 11-5, 12-10 to win the Youth Boys U-13 final in the UTT National-ranking table tennis championship.

West Bengal's Ankolika Chakraborty emerged winner of the Youth Girls U-13 after beating her state mate Prateeti Paul in straight sets (11-4, 11-7,11-4). Tamil Nadu's M.Ashvajit and West Bengal's Serosree Chakraborty won the U11 titles in the Youth boys and Youth girls categories, respectively.