KOCHI: The spruced up Prakash Padukone Plaza at the Regional Sports Centre, where the table tennis event of the National Games was held, provided hi-tech facilities for the players and the spectators alike.
The officials had set up air conditioning and free Wifi facilities in a welcoming gesture for players, who had arrived here from different states,and the spectators. The competitions, that were held from February 1 to February 5 were a roaring success and proceeded with minimal hold ups in the accommodation, transport or food facilities, the players noted. “This is the third time that I am here. The facilities that we were provided were all satisfactory,” said Gujarat Table Tennis player Harmeet Desai who won a gold in the men’s doubles and silver in the men’s singles section in the Games.
Earlier, he had told ‘Express’ that he could easily acclimatize with the weather and other conditions than some players. This helped him to perform at top form. West Bengal player Mouma Das seemed to be an exception in the case.
“I have not been able to perform well at all in this National Games,” she said. “The ball tended to bounce erratically due to difference in air conditioning and I have not been able to place my shot well at all. It has been a bit difficult for me to adjust to this sudden change,” she said.
However, most players agreed that the authorities had gone the extra mile to present a seamless experience for the players in the competition.