Now Reading: 41 Kerala paddlers protest, allege KTTA victimisation in ranking event
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41 Kerala paddlers protest, allege KTTA victimisation in ranking event
Forty-one Kerala paddlers, including several state champions, have accused the Kerala Table Tennis Association (KTTA) of systematic victimisation at the PAX Academy State-ranking tournament in Kollam. The players allege last-minute fixture changes…
The Story in Brief
Forty-one Kerala paddlers, including several state champions, have accused the Kerala Table Tennis Association (KTTA) of systematic victimisation at the PAX Academy State-ranking tournament in Kollam. The players allege last-minute fixture changes forced top-ranked players and clubmates to face each other early, violated published draws on the KTTA's official platform Zeetius, used tables not approved by the Table Tennis Federation of India, and lacked transparency in prize-money distribution. They also claim KTTA loyalists got easier draws.
The KTTA denies tampering with the final draw published on August 8, calling earlier versions unauthorised. It says it distributed 43 percent of entry fees as total prize money, rejects any promise of 40 percent per event, and justifies unapproved tables due to high entries. The association blames clubs for failing to register players. The paddlers plan to approach the Sports Minister, Kerala State Sports Council, and TTFI.
The Indian Opinion
State table tennis is reduced to a faction fight, with players caught in the crossfire of rival associations. The KTTA blames clubs and calls draws unauthorised, yet 41 players say fixtures were rigged twice in two tournaments. Both sides cannot be right. The real test is whether the Sports Minister or TTFI will audit the Zeetius logs and the prize-money accounts. Until then, the paddlers have only a protest letter; the KTTA, only denials. Who is afraid of an independent inquiry?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
