Jalandhar: Table tennis hall renovation disrupts players’ practice

The table tennis (TT) hall inside Raizada Hansraj Stadium in Jalandhar was built in the 1980s, but has suffered from years of poor maintenance. The flooring became worn and uneven, affecting the quality of play.

Advertisement

During the rainy season, a leaking roof allowed water to seep inside, while several broken windowpanes left the facility exposed to dust and weather. Despite its long-standing issues, the hall remained in a state of neglect, with little effort made to restore or upgrade it.

Now, with a Rs 30 lakh renovation project finally underway, players see a glimmer of hope. Located in the heart of the city near Namdev Chowk, the nine-table tennis hall is set to expand. Once completed in another five to six months, the renovated hall will have 14 tables, meeting the norms required for hosting national-level championships. A wider space has been created by removing the internal staircase that led to the upper floor. The new hall will also have PU matting, adhering to standard specifications.

CEO of the Punjab Table Tennis Association, Pankaj Sharma, said, “In the first phase of renovation, only the floor will be repaired. A firm has been awarded the contract for TT court floor repairs across all districts of Punjab, including Mohali, Patiala and Anandpur Sahib, following the tender process by the government. The roof and other necessary repairs will begin in the second phase.”

As the repair work progresses, a single table has been arranged on the stadium’s first floor. Currently, players preparing for the forthcoming state championship are practising on this lone table. “We are looking for an alternative place to set up the remaining eight tables so that our players do not miss out on practice. We are requesting any available space in a nearby community centre or a school/college hall,” said members of the association.

Earlier, around 50 youth trained at the hall, but the number dropped to just 30 last year due to its deteriorating condition. About 10 men who were also regulars have had their practice disrupted due to the ongoing renovation. Several schools and colleges in the city—including Apeejay School, Cambridge School, Innocent Hearts and La Blossom—have their own TT halls where their students practice. “These institutes do not allow outside players to train and hence we are facing difficulties during this makeshift period,” said Chandan Sharma, secretary of the association.

The Jalandhar District Table Tennis Association had long sought government grants for repair work, but to no avail. A ray of hope emerged when former Sports Minister Rana Gurmeet Sodhi announced a grant of Rs 1 crore in August 2021 for the renovation. However, the association has yet to receive even a portion of the promised amount.

Jalandhar has a proud history of producing national-level TT players, including Yavinder Saini, Deepak Thukral, Vaneet Chopra, Pankaj Sharma, Vikas Mahajan and Manish Bhardwaj. Current players such as brothers Hitesh Dogra and Kartik Dogra, Harsh Sehgal, Sankalp Kashyap, Aayush Gambhir, Lakshay Mahajan and Phagun Bhandari have also been performing commendably in the sport.