Ludhiana: Table Tennis Academy nurturing future champions

The Table Tennis Academy being run by the government near Rakh Bagh has been grooming young talent to become future champions. Children have been practising at the academy in two shifts under the guidance of professional coaches.

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Although the table tennis academy has been operational in Ludhiana for over 15 years at Guru Nanak Stadium, a world-class facility was recently constructed near Rakh Bagh. When the academy was based at Guru Nanak Stadium, it had only five tables, which limited practice opportunities for budding players. They often faced issues due to inadequate time on the tables. The newly built academy now houses 19 tables, providing players with ample time to learn and hone their skills in the sport.

Vikas Paswan, a young coach at the academy, has been training players for the past two years. The coach said the academy caters to all kinds of players-from seven-year-old beginners to over 70-year-old Harminder Singh Chatwal. At present, the academy trains around 40 players, most of whom are dedicated to the sport, while a few participate for fitness or as a passion.

The coach claimed that the academy has been preparing children to become future champions. A nine-year-old trainee, Rudra, secured first place in the Under-19 category and also bagged second position in both the Under-11 and Under-13 categories at a recently concluded district-level championship. "Even our players Rudra and Sachin reached the pre-quarterfinal and quarterfinal stages respectively," the coach said. Another player, Kiran, also competed at the district-level championship, although she faced defeat.

Coach Vikas shared that he himself had secured second and third positions in the state school games held in Patiala in 2018 and 2019, respectively. He, along with Pranav Chopra of Jalandhar, became champion in an open doubles tournament held in Chandigarh in 2020, which saw players from across North India competing against one another.

Gargi, a teenage girl who began training around eight months ago, said, "I want to be a good player and will bring laurels for our city and country one day. I am balancing study and sport in a good way."

Another trainee, Jasmine Makkar, had secured third rank in the Punjab state ranking last year.

Academy opened on April 10

The Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana, inaugurated the state-of-the-art table tennis facility at Rakh Bagh Sports Complex on April 10, 2025. The project cost of Rs 1.61 crore was funded by Ludhiana Smart City Limited (LSCL). It has a 3,800 sq ft area with seven tables for playing on the ground floor and 7,000 sq feet area with 12 tables on the first floor. Both halls are fully air-conditioned to ensure a comfortable playing environment. The visitor's gallery has a seating capacity of 150 persons, allowing spectators to enjoy the matches. The initiative was part of enhancing sports infrastructure in the city, promoting table tennis and offering a world-class facility for players and spectators alike. The objective was to provide a world-class infrastructure for table tennis enthusiasts and promote sports development in Ludhiana. Local players, aspiring athletes and sports enthusiasts are the beneficiaries. Development of this sports facility was a major step in enhancing sports facilities under the Smart City initiative.