Sport - Table Tennis

New glue causes concern

BOLPUR (WEST BENGAL): There is a lot of talk about the introduction of a new type of glue to be used in the paddles, ahead of the main rounds of the National-ranking table tennis championship (East Zone), slated to get underway here at the Kabiguru Sports Complex from Friday.

With the stipulation in place since September this year, this will be the first tournament in the country to feature the new substance.

A majority of the participants feel that the innovation could cause a few surprises. They have concerns about the alien nature of the new water-based glue which most of the players, including the top ranked names, are still struggling to adjust to.

National women’s champion Poulami Ghatak of Petroleum says she is taking it in her stride.

“I am yet to find the right kind of rubber and ply (to go with the glue) that can suite my style,” she said.

“I don’t mind losing even in the first round as it is more important for me to adjust to the new substance,” she added.

Petroleum’s Neha Agarwal, the top seed in the youth girls’ section and eighth seeded in the open women’s draw, has had some match experience with the new glue, having played in the recently concluded Commonwealth Youth Games.

There are a clutch of other youngsters, including the Commonwealth youth games bronze medallist Soumi Mondal, Puja S., Divya Deshpande and K. Shamini, who could challenge the old guard, represented by the likes of Poulami, Anindita Chakraborty, Mantu Ghosh and Mouma Das among others.

In the absence of A. Sharath Kamal, who is playing in Spain, the men’s action will be led by the national runner-up Sourav Chakraborty of Railways. Next in the seedings are Subhajit Saha (Petroleum), Raj Mondal (North Bengal), A. Amal Raj (Petroleum) and S. Sheshadri of Tamil Nadu.

Devesh Karia of Petroleum leads the seeding in youth boys’ section. The other age group categories are junior and sub-juniors’ for boys and girls.

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