SHILLONG, MAY 6: Sixteen-year-old state’s champion Tanushree Das Gupta is the first player to be selected from Meghalaya to participate in the U.S Open, an International Table Tennis Tournament to be held at Las Vegas, USA on July.
Gupta, also a student of Class X in All Saints Diocesan HS School, Shillong has been selected by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) to participate in the US Open scheduled (Junior Category) to be held at Nevedas, Las Vegas, USA from July 7 to 11.
Tanushree is one among seven players from India which the TTFI have selected for US Open.
Announcing this on Wednesday, Meghalaya Table Tennis Association (MTTA president RG Lyngdoh expressed pride and satisfaction over her selection in the Indian Team.
Lyngdoh also a former minister of the state, mentions that it has been a continuous endeavour of the MTTA to promote the game of Table Tennis in the state.
MTTA has been sending team to various national tournaments and also organizing national and international level tournaments besides many state level tournaments for the benefit of the players providing them with adequate exposure at the highest levels.
“Tanushree was included in the National Coaching Camp during the SAF Championships held in the year 2012,” Lyngdoh said. He informed that the state government has been consistently in its support and financial assistance which helped the MTTA for promotion of the game.
Lyngdoh also informed that chief minister MukulSangma has committed to allot land to construct a state-of-the-art stadium with the latest facilities which will serve as a table tennis academy for the region.
With support of this nature the future of table tennis in the state is deeply promising, Lyngdoh said.
Starting her journey as a tennis player started at a very tender age of eight, Lyngdoh informed that Tanushree is the State champion in U-18, U-21 and the Senior Women’s category for the last four years and has been representing the state at national events since 2008.
Tanushree was the runners up in the women’s singles category at the North East Games, 2013 held in Imphal.
An elated Tanushree said she feels good and nice to have been selected and thanked God, parents and her coach for their unending support to her. She said, “Am aiming for the national from which, I might also do well in the international level.”
Asked how she manage to strike a balance between academic and passion for tennis, her father said, “What we’ve experience is that it’s all about time management between sports and studies,” adding “A state like Meghalaya needs an Icon to carry sports legacy.”
In addition to this, Lyngdoh said that the school has also played an important role by supporting and allowing Tanushree to go out and skip her studies and tests and even exams.
Stating that there is a clash in between academics and sports, Lyngdoh said, “We need a sports policy in place to regulate this. If we have a proper policy, it is going to take care of security, guarantee the support and motivation that a player requires.”
Meanwhile, Tanushree has also attended coaching camps under Peter Carlsson, a 5 time World Champion from Sweden, Kamalesh Mehta, 8 Times National Champion and also at a camp conducted at Zhengding, China.
She is enrolled with SAI, STC, Shillong and practices under the tutelage of Lamphrang L Nonglait and also visit the North Bengal TT Academy.- By Our Reporter
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