Table Tennis events at National Games advanced to ensure top players participate

The table tennis competition of the National Games will be staged well before the opening ceremony on September 29 to ensure the presence of World Championship-bound stars, including Sharath Kamal, G Sathiyan and Manika Batra.

The trio will be among the earliest athletes in action in the 36th National Games in Gujarat as the Organising Committee decided to conduct the table tennis competition from September 20-24. The schedule had to be advanced as the World Table Tennis Championship begins in Chengdu, China, on September 30.

India's top athletes in 37 disciplines will line up for their respective states at the National Games. Being held after a gap of seven years, the National Games will be staged in six cities of Gujarat -- Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Surat, Vadodara, Rajkot, and Bhavnagar. New Delhi will host the cycling track competition.

Over 7,000 athletes from 28 states and 8 Union Territories will be seen in action, making this the biggest sporting extravaganza in the country. Gujarat, who stepped in to host the Games just three months back, has got everything together in record time and is confident of conducting one of the most memorable shows.

Kabaddi (from September 26), Netball (from September 26), Lawn Bowls and Rugby 7s (both from September 28) also begin before the Opening Ceremony. Traditional Indian sports Kho-kho, Yogasana and Mallakhamb will make their National Games debut.