Pune, January 16: Sport is a habit. And who knows it better than the old-timers? Ask the 900-odd players assembled for the 24th Veterans National Table Tennis Championships, beginning here at the Balewadi facilities, they will vouch for its significance.  It is also a proof of how these players, long after their retirement, are still passionate about the game which has provided them the bread and butter for several years. In some cases, it still does.

A cursory look at the entries from 25 states and institutions, in team, singles and doubles events, further strengthens the theory that despite past their prime, the paddlers’ interests has not waned even one bit. Take for instance, the number of men and women players that forms part of the Maharashtra squad, a whopping 263! The next best muscle power comes from Gujarat which has 108 players, followed by Karnataka (74), West Bengal (69) and Tamil Nadu (64).

With as many as 32 events—10 in team and 22 in individuals—slated for over the next six days, it will be a serious business than fun for the competitors. Of course, some amusing elements alays attached to any veterans’ event but that will be more in the 60+ and above categories. The 40+ and 50+ sections’ players understand the gravity of the situation and they do consider themselves as much active as they were in their hey days.

Maharashtra, who swept through most medals in the last edition at Chandigarh with the overall championships title, will understandably want to do an encore at a home edition, which the state is hosting for the first time. However, the hosts will be wary of the paddlers from the four states named above as they are expected to come in their way.

With as many as seven categories—40+, 50+, 60+, 65+, 70+, 75+ and 80+--in both men and women’s sections, naturally the event has attracted some former national and state champions, including those who had represented India in international events.

Ever since the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) took the veterans’ interests in its hands last year, it wanted to work out some feasible methods that will bring out the best in veterans. As a result, the 40+ and 50+ categories will played on a league-cum-knockout basis with teams divided into groups of three and four, from which two squads make the second stage cut to be eligible to play the knockout. This is an added advantage for the players as they get to play more.

Team medals apart, one is bound to witness players raising the bar in singles, especially the likes of Malay Thakkar from Gujarat, the winner in the men’s singles event of the 40+ category at Chandigarh and Minu Basak of West Bengal, who wore the women’s crown. But this time they will have to go through the grid of the league phase before entering the main draw, which the second stage. In other words, only one group winner go through to the next stage and that is what will separate contenders from pretenders.

Former national champion Sunil Babras of Maharashtra, the winner in 50+ will fight it out with Pankaj Sharma of Punjab, who finished the runner-up, to retain the gold. But it will be 60+ men’s singles with P.G. Kelker of Maharashtra and Arun Dhotre, who shared the gold and silver in that order, that will keep the participants as well as the crowd interested. Maharashtra has several winners in Suhasini Bakre and Sunanda Rao who will have to really put up more than what they did the previous years to retain their positions.

Ganeshan Neelakanta Iyer, the competition manager, will have the assistance of chief referee A.S. Kler deputy referees in Anil Dubey, H.K. Oberoi, T.G.Upadhyay and a battery of Blue Badge, international and national umpires numbering over 50. The technical officials have a tough job at hand in a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. schedule. After the first two days of hectic agenda, the team finals will take place on the third day but before that singles qualifications will begin.

Amco are table suppliers for the championships where GKI white balls will be used with synthetic flooring in place.

The championships, organized by the Maharashtra Table Tennis Association along with the state veterans committee, have an able administrator in president in Rajiv Bodas, who is also the chairman of the Indian Veterans Table Tennis Committee. Hence, the expectations of not just the players but also the organizational capabilities of the hosts will be put to test in the coming days.