The Bangladesh Table Tennis Federation (BTTF) is set to launch the first-ever Inter-University Table Tennis Fest today at the Shaheed Taj Uddin Ahmed Indoor Stadium, with around 30 public and private universities competing in the two-day event.
Nearly 200 paddlers, including 39 women, have registered for the tournament. The competition features two events -- women’s singles and the men’s team event. The federation opted to stage only a singles competition for women due to the shortage of female participants, while retaining the men’s team format in line with international practice in inter-university competitions.
The presence of several national ranking players in both categories has added a competitive edge to the inaugural tournament. National champion and country’s top-ranked player Muhtasin Ahmed Ridoy, national runner-up and women’s number two Sadia Rahman Mou, and ninth-ranked Samantha Hossen Tushi will lead Dhaka University.
Independent University of Bangladesh (IUB) will field national runner-up and men’s number two Ramhim Lian Bawm as well as former ranked player Reefat Mahmud Sabbir. Northern University will feature fourth-ranked Imrul Kayes Imon.
Daffodil International University will rely on ninth-ranked Mufradul Khair Hamza Shajib, 17th-ranked Promit Khisa Chakma and 20th-ranked Barkat Ali Sazin in the men’s section, while ninth-ranked Nourin Sultana Mahi will compete in the women’s singles.
“Organising an inter-university table tennis tournament is a good initiative because the sport will now be visible at university level and it will spread further across campuses,” Ridoy told The Daily Star.
“Since getting admitted to Dhaka University as an athlete, everyone has had a good perception of us. I am now proud to represent Dhaka University in an inter-university competition. I will try to bring laurels for our university,” he added.
Former four-time national champion and BTTF joint secretary Nasimul Hasan Kochi also welcomed the initiative, saying the federation has long aimed to expand the sport’s reach across the country.
“I can’t remember whether the federation ever organised an inter-university tournament, though such tournaments were held outside without the federation’s involvement. It’s a good initiative to revitalise table tennis at university level, where it can flourish,” said Kochi.
The federation hopes the tournament will serve as a platform to broaden participation and strengthen the sport’s grassroots presence at university level.
