May 22, 2008	Thursday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 16, 1429

KARACHI, May 21: The number of entries in 15 different categories of the 36th Karachi Table Tennis championship starting at Islamia Club on Friday has reached an all time high 600, surpassing last year’s record entires of around 500.

‘The response is quite encouraging and reflects the eagerness of players to participate and revive the past glories of the game,’ chairman, Karachi Table Tennis Association (KTTA), Dr. Farhan Essa, told a news conference on Wednesday.

He disclosed the event will go into the annals of the game when cash prizes amounting Rs 0.2 million would be disbursed among men and women which have never happened before. Winners of the cadet events will be rewarded not in cash but in kind, he said.

Seven more events have been added to last year aimed at providing competition to different tiers.

The events includes men’s singles (ranking and open), ladies singles (ranking and open), men’s doubles, ladies doubles, mixed doubles, boys and girls singles cadet under-12, under-15, under-18, men’s team event and ladies team event.

He outlined five goals of KTTA – image building, raising assets, training people, awarding cash prizes and talent hunt.

Aziz Memon, district governor, Rotary International, assured that the NGO would fully support the community service because healthy people with healthy mind serve the country as better citizen.

Secretary KTTA, Shaukat Omari, former international player and ITTF coach, Arif Khan, Farhan Chishti and Faisal Mian also spoke on the occasion.