Bhubaneswar, Nov 7 : With an aim to give a major boost to the development of sports and fitness in the city, particularly Table Tennis, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today inaugurated the Odisha Table Tennis Academy here on Tuesday. On this occasion, CM Patnaik also declared open the 29thState Table Tennis Championship 2023. The Table Tennis Academy features a spacious table tennis arena with sixteen TT tables, a well-equipped gymnasium, a weightlifting room, and a chess area. Additionally, there are dedicated spaces for yoga and zumba enthusiasts thus ensuring a holistic approach to fitness and well-being.It will provide a platform to produce new generation of paddlers from the state. "With the inauguration of the Odisha Table Tennis Academy we are taking another significant step towards promoting sports excellence in Table Tennis. This academy will not only nurture budding talents but also serve as a hub for recreation and competitive spirit," Odisha CM said. He also announced that 33 Table Tennis Centres are being established across indoor halls in the state. The centres will be operational by December 2023 and will have three Table Tennis tables each. Cuttack TT Academy will also be operational shortly with 16 tables. The Chief Minister commended Odisha State Table Tennis Association, for taking significant strides for promoting Table Tennis in the state and offered all necessary support to produce elite Table Tennis players from the state who can represent India. The TTFI dignitaries Chaudhury and Kamlesh Mehta praised Chief Minister for his vision for sports and the support towards hostingthe Commonwealth TT championship and the National TT Championships in 2019. Chairman 5T & Nabin Odisha VK Pandian, Sports and Youth services Minister Tusharkanti Behera, MLA, Bhubaneswar CentralAnanta Narayan Jena, Mayor of Bhubaneswar Sulochana Das, DC cum ACS Anu Garg, Sanjay Singh President, OSTTA andVineel Krishna, Sports Secretary were present on the occasion. /IANS