The main attraction at the recently held 64th Junior National Table Tennis meet in Shillong was the presence of star peddler couple Kamalesh Mehta and Monalisa Barua Mehta.

Young paddlers of the North-Eastern region can cheer the fact the eight-time National Champion, former India captain Arjuna Award winner and now National coach Kamalesh Mehta has agreed to play mentor to teams from the North-East. Mehta said in Shillong that he would provide professional coaching, training and exposure not just players but also to coaches of the region. “I am willing to work in an advisory capacity to improve the basic techniques which can be followed up at the local level by coaches with intensive training camps and programmes for players and coach motivation,” he said. He suggested a tie-up between table tennis associations in the North-East and his own coaching centre at Mumbai. He also emphasized on the need to glamourise TT like other sports and felt that more school level meets should be organized in the whole of North-East.

His wife Monalisa Barua Mehta is also an Arjuna Award winner and former women table tennis champion from Assam. She felt that today despite there being enough talented players in Assam, the State does not have the psychological edge. “At one time, Assam was a very good team but now except for the junior team there has not been much to write home about. The players need proper grooming, both physical and mental. Players like Sanjana Sarma, Pallabi Parasar, Kakoli Lakhar and Anal Kashyap are extremely talented. But they need good coaching, practice facilities and exposure. The attitude too is negative. They need psychological counseling like we had when we represented Assam, “she said. Monalisa also stressed on the need to begin from the roots to identify young talent.

Monalisa also held Assam Badminton Association responsible for Dipankar Bhattacharya, two-time Olympian and three-time national champion not being considered for the prestigious Arjuna Award. No Assam sportsperson has received the Arjuna Award since she last won it in 1987. “No doubt Dipankar deserved the Arjuna Award. But he was deprived, most probably due to inadequate support from the State badminton organization, which should have moved to the government at the right time and should have put up a fight when he was over looked,” said Monalisa.

Like her husband, Monalisa also volunteered to collaborate with the Assam Table Tennis Association. “Both my husband and myself are always ready to help Assam and in fact the whole of North-East, if all states wish to unite together for coaching purpose.

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