200 young paddlers stranded in Vijayawada due to Michaung

Kolkata, December 5

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Securing her maiden Under-11 National Ranking title in Vijayawada brought joy and pain in equal measure for young Bengal paddler Sreosree Chakraborty.

Sreosree is now stuck along with 300 others because of Cyclone Michaung, which has wreaked havoc on India’s east coast. Cyclone Michaung made landfall in Bapatla, a coastal district of Andhra Pradesh, also bringing heavy rainfall in Vijayawada, about 80km away.

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. As of now, there’s no update from the Railways. Mrinmoy Chakraborty, Father of U-11 Champion Sreosree Chakraborty

The National Ranking tournament concluded on Monday, and a Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) official told PTI today that there are about 200 players in the age groups between U-11 and U-19 stuck along with their family members.

The event was the penultimate round of the five zonal tournaments, with the final leg scheduled from December 8 in Panchkula. The players are sweating over whether they would be able to reach Panchkula in time for the competition.

“We are booked on the Tamil Nadu Express to New Delhi from where we will go to Panchkula,” Sreosree’s father Mrinmoy Chakraborty told PTI from Vijayawada. “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,” he added.

Valuable ranking points are at stake in the final leg, which will help the participants qualify for the National Championships. “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,” Mrinmoy said.

Their only solace is that they have not been cut off from the outside world as the internet is working smoothly.

“We are able to communicate with others. A few shops were open in the morning and we are managing by eating bread and fruits,” he said.

The competition department will take a call on whether to postpone the Panchkula tournament after consulting with the event organisers, said a TTFI official.