Kathmandu, April 5

In a bid to boost up differently-able table tennis players of Nepal, the International Table Tennis Federation is launching the UN-funded project, Table Tennis for NepALL here on Wednesday.

The three-year project, which is aimed at making the disabled table tennis players capable of sustaining on their own, will be held in six centres across the country — two in Kathmandu and one each in Pokhara, Biratnagar, Nepalgunj and Dhangadhi.

Around 400 players with various disabilities are expected to get involved in the project, which will spend $150,000 over the next three years. “Our main aim is to prepare capable coaches who can earn their livings after the completion of the project,” said Chaturananda Rajvaidya, President of All Nepal Table Tennis Association at a press meet today. “The project is very important for Nepali table tennis as it produces coaches, who will go to schools and colleges to train the aspiring players, across the country,” he added.

Thomas Weikert, President of ITTF; Wilfried Lamke, Special Advisor to the UN Secretary-General on Sports for Development and Peace; Young Sam MA, International Working Group Co-chair of the Sport and Person with Disabilities; role model Melissa Tapper, the first Australian athlete to qualify for Olympics and Paralympics along with other officials will launch the project at the NDA Khagendra New Life Centre in Jorpati on Wednesday. The training centre was renovated with the funds provided by the ITTF, which had sent 10,000 euros after the quake.

They will also inaugurate and handover the Para Table Tennis Training Centre, which was damaged by the massive earthquake last year, apart from celebrating the World Table Tennis Day. “It is our privilege to have the opportunity to celebrate World Table Tennis Day and the International Day on Sport for Development and Peace in Nepal,” said Rajvaidya. “We will not leave any stone unturned to make the project a grand success,” he added.

ITTF President Weikert said the project was one of the biggest granted by the world governing body. “It me the biggest one in the last 10 years,” said Weikert. “When the earthquake struck Nepal, we were in China for the World Championship. I met with the Nepali players and they wanted to finish their matches, which was great in itself. We had an emergency meeting and decided to send financial assistance of 10,000 euros,” he said. “That was the past and now we are here for future with a project for disabled players. We would like to thank United Nations for entrusting us and the government of South Korea for providing with the financial help,” Weikert added. Weikert said the ITTF was organising 150 events in more than 70 countries to mark the World TT Day and “the main event will be held in Nepal.”

Lama Tendi Sherpa, vice-president of National Sports Council, hoped the project would help in spreading the message that Nepal was returning back to normalcy. “If not to the world, the project will give positive message to the table tennis fraternity,” he said. Thanking the ITTF and UN for their generous support, Sherpa said the project would also support the Olympic values.

Lemke argued that disability should not be isolated as sports had the power to open all doors. “This is the grassroots programme and we want to encourage the youth,” he said. Na, who is also an international referee, hoped the project would help in generating awareness among the people.

Role Model Melissa said disability was all about attitude. “TT can be played all over the world with all disabilities. I worked hard for 18 years to be in this place. You also can dream, just work hard to achieve it. You can do it,” said Melissa, the only second Australian to qualify for both Olympics and paralympic Games. Melissa, who participated in the demonstration matches at the Basantapur Durbar Square on Monday, also played with local players at the National Table Tennis Training Centre.