August 09, 2007	Thursday	Rajab 24, 1428

KARACHI, Aug 8: The Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA) is all set to introduce juniors ranking system with the launch of Sindh Rangers U-18 boys and girls table tennis championships which gets underway at the newly raised Rangers Sports Complex on Thursday.

“The step is aimed at eliminating favouritism and to give fair deal to deserving players in selection,” chairman KTTA, Dr Farhan Essa, told newsmen at a briefing on Wednesday.

He disclosed that since coming at the helm of affairs in KTTA, he along with his team was making concerted efforts to revive the glorious era of the past. “We’re pretty charged-up about it and want to bring back the game where it was in the yesteryear,” said the former player whose father Dr Essa Mohammad had the honour of winning the men’s singles crown at the inaugural National Table Tennis Championship in 1953.

He said there’s enormous talent in the city and it’s the duty of the governing body to provide infrastructure and groom new players.

Speaking on the occasion, President PTTF, S.M. Sibtain, eulogised the services of DG Rangers Sindh Jawaid Zia and Dr Mohammad Ali Shah for the uplift of sporting activities in the metropolis.

The championship, which has been hurriedly arranged to commemorate the Independence Day, is sponsored by orthopedic surgeon Dr Shah who is contemporary of a number of former stalwarts of the game.

He said people of the city in general and North Nazimabad and its vicinity in particular, will always be indebted to DG Rangers Sindh for creating healthy sporting facilities. “I had donated half a million rupees to Rangers as a contribution for constructing an indoor hall for table tennis.

Outlining salient features of the sports complex, Maj. Mazharul Haq said the DG Rangers Sindh had purchased the plot from the State Bank to create healthy facilities for the youths of the city.