Former national table tennis champion Manmeet Singh Walia passed away

Former national table tennis champion, Manmeet Singh Walia passed away on Monday after suffering from a prolonged illness in Montreal, Canada on Monday.

Manmeet, who became the National champions once in 1988-89 in Hyderabad, was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for over a year.

Manmeet is remembered for his consistent form in the Indian table tennis circuit during the 1980s. He also represented the country at multiple global events.

When it came to the Nationals, however, Manmeet was unfortunate to have lost to the eventual champion four times in a row since 1981.

In 1988-89, he defeated S. Sriram in the final.

During his era, the Indian table tennis team had minimum resources then, and practically no overseas exposure. After retiring in the early 1990s, Manmeet relocated to Canada and stayed in touch with his old friends.

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