Kathmandu, May 21

Kathmandu District Table Tennis Association and Rotary Club of Nagarjun are jointly organising the Venus Cup National Open Table Tennis Tournament from Sunday.

A total of 225 players will take part in the tournament that features six categories — all singles events in men, women, junior girls and boys, and cadet girls and boys, informed the organisers at a press meet today. Top two players in men and women’s singles will receive Rs 25,000 and Rs 15,000, while the losing semi-finalists get Rs 5,000 each.

In all, 30 players have registered in the men’s singles category and they have been divided into eight pools. Top player each from all the groups will advance to the quarters. The women’s singles event has 11 players and they have been divided into two groups. Top two after league round will make it to the semis, informed senior coach Nabin Suwal, who has been assigned as the technical committee chief.

“As we could not raise adequate amount for the tournament, we have kept aside cash prizes in men and women’s categories,” said Dharma Man Bajracharya, President of Kathmandu District Table Tennis Association. “We also had to do this tournament in a hurry, so that we were not able to include doubles events this time around.”

Venus Group is the main sponsor of the tournament and they have provided the organisers with Rs 100,000. Dish Home, Bajeko Sekuwa, United Breweries and TBI Publications are the co-sponsors of event, while CST Season Service Pvt Ltd, Modern Cleaning and Servicing Pvt Ltd, Hariyali Saving and Credit Cooperative Society Limited, Huwei and The River Overseas Pvt Ltd are the supporters.