KOLKATA: The West Bengal Table Tennis Association (WBTTA) has confirmed its merger with the Bengal Table Tennis Association (BTTA) and the North Bengal Table Tennis Association (WBTTA) following the bodies’ joint meeting with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) recently, IANS reports.
The merger will be completed by April 2019, giving the WBTTA the complete authority to run the sport in the state.
“We are expecting a merger by the start of April. All three of the associations will work together under one umbrella for the larger good of the sport,” WBTTA secretary Sharmi Sengupta told IANS.
“Our players have done so well at the nationals and the sport in Bengal is getting better. We want to bury the differences and work together and not in factions. I have spoken to BTTA officials as well as NBTTA officials and we are all committed to working together. NBTTA officials will meet us most probably by the start of March.”
The move is expected to find the backing of the Bengal Olympic Association (BOA), which has been on the lookout of the best interests of table tennis players in the state, who have been affected adversely due to the administrative structure.
The WBTTA plans to build a full-fledged residential academy and also provide nearly 20 tables in each city and district of the state by the end of 2019. It is also likely to organise an IPL-style table tennis state competition in June this year.
