CHENNAI: Venugopal Chandrasekhar was known for his flamboyant and charismatic style. He feels table tennis is not attractive on TV and was more popular during his time. On a mission to bring the game back to its glory days, he will officially inaugurate on June 5 his long-term vision, The Chandrasekhar Table Tennis Academy.
“Though I started the project in 2001, it has taken so many years to finally launch the institute. Just like my playing career, I had to go through a lot of struggles to get funds for the initiative. I met Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa and got the land on lease with the help of Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).
“The land was exploited by encroachments and other elements. Sponsors refused to give money which led to the delay. After renewing the lease, I am finally launching it on Sunday,” he said.
Chandrasekhar will act as director of the academy and supervise the running of the institute along with other coaches. The Arjuna award winner, who started his coaching career in 1991, has plenty of experience. After seven years with YMCA Royapetah (1990-1997), he joined DG Vaishnav where he coached till 2012.
“I want to pass on the little knowledge that I have to the kids and encourage them to take the sport more seriously. India has a lot of potential and with a little bit of funding and facilities, I am sure the game will produce more champions,” he concluded.