Meghalaya Legislative Assembly Speaker Metbah Lyngdoh on Monday inaugurated the 83rd Senior National Table Tennis Championship at the SAI complex here.
The speaker expressed shock at the death of 18-year-old player Deenadayalan Vishwa in a car accident on Sunday and all participants observed a two-minute silence to mourn the loss.
“I was shocked to receive the unfortunate news about the accident where one of the participants from Tamil Nadu, a promising player died in the car accident where his car collided with a truck yesterday,” Lyngdoh said.
The speaker appreciated the efforts of the local association to host the national level tournament and expressed his gratitude to the Table Tennis Association of India for giving his state the event.
He said playing TT enhances players’ activity more than any other sports.
“This game demands tremendous stamina and mental alertness of the athlete besides flexibility of their bodies,” he said.
He also lauded the players and said that they all serve as brand ambassadors for life.
Meghalaya’s Sports Minister Banteidor Lyngdoh read the condolence message from the state government to the bereaved family members of the young paddler.
“It is not only a loss to his family but to the sporting fraternity of this country,” he said.
The sports minister said his government is stressing on improving sports infrastructure in the state.
He announced that the sports department is organizing the 4th Meghalaya Games next month and a Northeast Olympics will be held by November this year.
