NEW DELHI: With training options limited due to the lockdown in various states, the Table Tennis Federation of India has sent a proposal to SAI for holding a national camp for Olympic paddlers along with other top domestic players for a duration of 15 days in DPS Sonepat.
The proposal includes training for six male and as many female paddlers and the list also includes the four paddlers who have qualified for Tokyo. The players are scheduled to arrive on June 17 and the camp will begin from June 20 and go on till July 5.
"We have sent this proposal to SAI and are awaiting their confirmation. The players are familiar with the DPS Sonepat facilities and the risk factor will be low due to the school remaining closed and we can effectively maintain the bio-bubble. We will be taking all sorts of precautions to ensure the players feel safe as their health is of paramount importance," TTFI secretary Arun Banerjee informed The New Indian Express.
Players will have to undergo RT-PCR test upon arrival and after a quarantine period of three days, will start practice. Rapid antigen testing will be done on a regular basis to keep tabs on the health of the players as well as support staff.
As of now, the likes of A Sharath Kamal, Manav Thakkar, Sanil Shetty, Sudhanshu Grover have confirmed their availability. Among women, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Reeth Rishya, Takeme Sarkar, Archana Kamath are set to be part of the camp.
However, there is a question mark regarding the participation of a couple of players. G Sathiyan prefers training at his home base in Chennai with his personal coach S Raman while Manika Batra's participation is also doubtful. Harmeet Desai is currently in France and is unlikely to take part.
"Training for the Olympics is a different ball-game altogether and it does not happen from the comfort of one's home. So I'm really looking forward to the camp where I can train with different partners and get into match-mode ahead of the Olympics," Sharath stated.