Cuttack: The Odisha Government has signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) to host the 21st Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship scheduled to be held here starting July 17.

The MoU was signed between Department of Sports and Youth Services, Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) and Odisha State Table Tennis Association (OSTTA). Sports Secretary Vishal Dev signed the MoU with TTFI Senior Vice-President SN Sultan and OSTTA President LN Gupta in the presence of Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Sports Minister Tusharkanti Behera.

Extending best wishes to the participating teams, CM Naveen said, “The championship is an important step for us in promoting sports, especially table tennis in the state. I hope the event will bring renewed focus on table tennis, in which India has been performing well in recent times.”

The championships that will conclude on July 22 will have participation from 14 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, England, Scotland, Wales, Australia, Pakistan, South Africa, Bangladesh and Nigeria.