150 Surat paddlers celebrated PM Modi’s birthday 

Surat: As many as 150 paddlers from 10 Surat table tennis academies turned up wearing specially-designed t-shirts and took part in table tennis activities to commemorate the 74th birthday of India’s Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi on Tuesday in a massive awareness drive organised by Gujarat State Table Tennis Association (GSTTA), Table Tennis Association of Surat District (TTASD), Sports Authority of Gujarat and Pratibha Group of Surat. 

In total, around 750 young and upcoming paddlers from 74 different centres from across the state took part in this state-wide campaign to promote the sport. 

Two Surat paddlers-Manav Thakkar and Harmeet Desai-were part of the Indian men’s team which took part in the recently-concluded Paris Olympics. 

Surat’s international veteran player Nazmi Kinkhabwala and national-level paddlers Shlok Bajaj and Sanaya Achha took part in this massive initiative. 

“Manav and Harmeet’s feat has put Surat and its table tennis on international map. We want to promote the sport on this day where are beloved PM celebrates his birthday,” GSTTA and TTASD president Shri Pramod Chaudhary said.