Gujarat Dy CM Harsh Sanghavi honours 775 table tennis players in Vadodara
Synopsis
Gujarat Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi honoured 775 young table tennis players in Vadodara and then inspected a brand-new ₹22.52 crore multi-sport complex in Anand — a twin-city swing that signals the state's deliberate push to build grassroots sporting infrastructure ahead of Independence Day.
Key Takeaways
775 players from across Gujarat competed in the fourth Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament at Sama Sports Complex, Vadodara , from 11–14 August .
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi distributed trophies, certificates and cash prizes at the closing ceremony on 14 August .
The Sardar Patel Junior Awards for 2007-08 , 2016-17 and 2018-19 were also conferred during the ceremony.
Sanghavi inspected the newly built Anand District Sports Complex , developed at ₹22.52 crore under the Sports Authority of Gujarat .
The Anand complex offers facilities for badminton, kho-kho, kabaddi, tennis, basketball and hockey .
Gujarat Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi on 14 August presided over the closing ceremony of the fourth Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament at the Sama Sports Complex in Vadodara, distributing trophies, certificates and cash prizes to winners drawn from a field of 775 young players who competed across the state.
Tournament at a Glance
The four-day competition, held from 11 to 14 August, featured boys and girls in six age categories — Under-9, Under-11, Under-13, Under-15, Under-17 and Under-19. A team of 30 technical support staff assisted participants throughout the event. The tournament, listed in the calendar of the Table Tennis Association of Baroda, is being staged for the fourth consecutive year, reflecting its growing stature in Gujarat's grassroots sports circuit.
Awards and Ceremony Highlights
Beyond the tournament prizes, Sanghavi also conferred the Sardar Patel Junior Awards for the years 2007-08, 2016-17 and 2018-19, congratulating recipients for their sporting achievements. An annual report booklet was released during the ceremony. Notably, the Deputy Chief Minister joined Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi for a set of table tennis, using the occasion to interact directly with and encourage the young athletes.
The ceremony was attended by MLA Chaitanya Desai, former MP Jaya Thakkar, Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu, office-bearers of the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and the Gujarat State Table Tennis Association, Sports Department officials, senior athletes, players and their parents.
Sanghavi Inspects New ₹22.52 Crore Sports Complex in Anand
During a visit to Anand for the Tiranga Yatra, Sanghavi inspected the newly constructed District Sports Complex, developed at a cost of ₹22.52 crore under the supervision of the Sports Authority of Gujarat. The facility includes an Indoor Multipurpose Hall with dedicated courts for badminton, kho-kho and kabaddi, alongside a synthetic modern tennis court, basketball court and a hockey ground.
Supporting infrastructure at the complex covers internal roads, paver-block work, parking, landscaping, an irrigation network, storm-water drainage, external water supply, high-mast and street lighting, a percolation well, borewell, compound wall, security cabin, main entrance gate and an external toilet block.
Sanghavi's Message to Young Athletes
The Deputy Chief Minister interacted with young badminton players at the Anand complex and played alongside them before conducting a formal inspection. He instructed officials to maximise usage of the facility, ensuring that a greater number of sportspersons benefit from the infrastructure investment. The dual visits — in Vadodara and Anand — underline the state government's push to deepen grassroots sports development ahead of Independence Day.
Point of View
But the underlying investment is real. A ₹22.52 crore multi-sport complex in a district like Anand — covering everything from synthetic tennis to hockey — is meaningful infrastructure if it is actually kept open and maintained. The harder question is utilisation: Gujarat has a track record of building facilities that underperform on daily footfall. Sanghavi's instruction to officials to 'ensure more sportspersons use the complex' is a directive, not a plan — and without a usage audit mechanism, the ₹22.52 crore risks becoming another well-photographed ribbon-cutting.
NationPress
14 Aug 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the fourth Gujarat State Ranking Table Tennis Tournament?
It was a four-day state-level tournament held from 11 to 14 August at the Sama Sports Complex in Vadodara, featuring 775 players competing across six age categories from Under-9 to Under-19. The event is organised annually by the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and the Gujarat State Table Tennis Association.
What awards did Deputy CM Harsh Sanghavi present at the ceremony?
Sanghavi presented trophies, certificates and cash prizes to tournament winners, and also conferred the Sardar Patel Junior Awards for 2007-08, 2016-17 and 2018-19 during the closing ceremony on 14 August.
What is the new Anand District Sports Complex and how much did it cost?
The Anand District Sports Complex is a newly constructed multi-sport facility built at a cost of ₹22.52 crore under the supervision of the Sports Authority of Gujarat. It includes an Indoor Multipurpose Hall and courts for badminton, kho-kho, kabaddi, tennis, basketball and hockey, along with full supporting infrastructure.
Who attended the closing ceremony in Vadodara?
The ceremony was attended by MLA Chaitanya Desai, former MP Jaya Thakkar, Municipal Commissioner Arun Mahesh Babu, Vadodara MP Hemang Joshi, office-bearers of the Table Tennis Association of Baroda and the Gujarat State Table Tennis Association, Sports Department officials, senior athletes, players and their parents.
Why did Sanghavi visit Anand on 14 August?
Sanghavi visited Anand to participate in the Tiranga Yatra ahead of Independence Day, during which he also inspected the newly constructed District Sports Complex and interacted with young badminton players at the facility.
