Squash may leapfrog other disciplines in holding 1st state championship during Covid-19 pandemic

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Squash Rackets Association (KSRA) in all probability will become the first sports body in the state to hold their state championships during the

Covid-19 pandemic

.

The KSRA is set to hold the event at

the National Games Squash Centre

here from December 28 to 30. They are hoping to get the requisite clearance from the state government and local authorities as they are planning to organise the tournament with a limited pool of players.

Meanwhile, the Table Tennis Association of Kerala (TTAK) has pushed back their state championships to early next year while the Kerala Cricket Association's (KCA) plans to host the inaugural T20 tournament has hit a limbo after the BCCI announced the staging of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament from January 10.

The Kerala State Athletics Association

(KSAA) is also planning to conduct the state junior meet next month before the national athletics championships scheduled to be held in Guwahati in February.

But for the Covid-19 restrictions which is still across the state has put hamper to their aspirations.

The TTAK will now hold their state championships by splitting the categories - senior, youth, junior, sub-junior and cadets in singles for both boys and girls - on weekends starting from January 23, 2021 and will finish it by February 7. The National Junior TT Championships are scheduled to be held either in Sonepat, Haryana or Indore in Madhya Pradesh in February.

"We don't have time as the national federation have asked us to conduct state championships as early as possible. At least half a dozen states including West Bengal, Tamil Nadu have completed their engagements. In Kerala, local body elections, Christmas season and clearance from local authorities took time. Now it has been decided to begin from January 23 with senior championships. We'll be holding only on weekends to prevent any untoward incidents during this tough time,"

Michael Mathai

, secretary, TTAK told TOI on Thursday.

The TTAK secretary also requested all table tennis players in the state to register their names with their respective district associations at the earliest. The district championships are scheduled to be held during December 26 & 27 and on January 2 & 3, 2021. For any query on TT, interested may contact TTAK secretary (9447356870).

SCHEDULE

State squash (

National Games Quash Centre

, Thiruvananthapuram): December 28, 29, 30 (Senior, under-19, U-17, U-15, U-13 & U-11 (for both boys and girls singles only).

State TT (YMCA TT Arena, Alappuzha): January 23,2021: Senior (men & women singles); Jan 24: Youth (boys & girls singles); Jan 31: Cadet (boys & girls singles);
Feb 6: Sub-junior (boys & girls singles) and Feb 7: juniors (boys & girls singles)

KCA premier league (Cherthala, in limbo after BCCI announces date for national tournament)

KSAA (state junior athletics meet in Jan last week at several venues)