Players, youths organise run to promote Asian table tennis meet

Lucknow, Nov 8 : A 4-km run named 'Run for Polio Prevention' was held here Sunday morning to promote the 19th Asian Table Tennis Championship starting Nov 16.

Over 300 youths, including sportspersons from various fields participated in the 4-km run that started from the K.D. Singh Babu Stadium and took a route back to the stadium via the Vidhan Sabha.

Arjuna Awardee and eight-time national women table tennis champion Indu Puri and former national hockey captain and Olympian Ravinder Pal Singh were among the distinguished participants of the run.

A.K. Banerjee, secretary of the organising committee of the championship said: "The run was meant to show-case the Asian Table Tennis Championships and to involve public with the game that is not so popular in India. The Run was also aimed to create awareness about the pulse polio campaign."

The District Magistrate of Lucknow Amit Kumar Ghosh flagged off the run and also accompanied the participants throughout the entire route.

Over 300 players including top ranking international players from 25 countries are participating in the championship which is being organised for the first time at the Uttar Pradesh Badminton Academy in Gomtinagar.

--IANS