KARACHI: Sixty-two players — boys and girls — are set to vie for 10 gold medals that are at stake in the South Asian junior and cadet table tennis championships which is being held at the Islamabad’s PSB Complex from Aug 27 to 29.

The competition will be preceded by a week-long Asian Table Tennis Union (ATTU) sponsored camp at the same venue from Aug 20-26.

Four nations — India, Sri Lanka, Nepal and hosts Pakistan — will field full strength teams of 14 players apiece while Bangladesh and Maldives will be represented by three players each. Bhutan has not send entries.

According to break-up of medals, four golds are up for grabs in team events — junior boys and girls and cadet boys and girls — four singles for boys and girls in two categories and two doubles in juniors boys and girls.

Pakistan Table Tennis Federation (PTTF) president, S. M. Sibtain, said on Friday that a meeting of organising committee has been convened at Islamabad on Aug 6 to review the arrangements.

Sibtain said as a special case, the organisers will provide free air passage of Karachi-Islamabad-Karachi to the Maldives team while Bangladesh’s request of providing one way air fare to their team and officials has been forwarded to the PSB with a request to approach PIA in this regard.

He said approximately a sum of four to five million rupees is required to stage the event in a befitting way which among others include providing free hospitality to all teams and officials.

The PTTF chief said the South Asian Table Tennis Federation meets in Islamabad on Aug 28 on the sidelines of the event to elect office-bearers for the next four-year term.

It may be mentioned that this is the second time Pakistan is playing host to the event. Previously, it was held in the city in 2008.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2014