A nationwide lockdown makes it difficult to keep budding talents and aspiring players in shape and motivate them. The Dhanuka Dhunseri Table Tennis Academy is doing just that.

The academy, an initiative of industrialist C.K. Dhanuka, has started online training for its trainees. It’s just a year old and is coming up with a bigger project next year in Rajarhat.

“We at the academy are conducting free online table tennis specific fitness classes for our young students. This is happening for the first time in the city,” CEO Prabha Chatterjee said.

“On Friday, current national team coach Soumyadeep Roy also interacted with the trainees and took classes of players who are at an advanced level,” she added.

“We want well-known players to tutor our students so that these youngsters can clear their doubts from those who have had their share of achievements from this game. Next week, Subramaniam Raman may take a class, while we are also in talks with Achanta Sharath Kamal.

“We don’t want our students to fall behind. Whenever they come to our Loudon Street academy, they should be updated about everything happening in table tennis.”

The academy has four coaches with Nupur Santra at the helm.

Soumyadeep sounded pleased with his interaction with the trainees. “I used to take online classes for senior players like Sutirtha (Mukherjee) and Ayhika (Mukherjee). They are mature players, but I had never interacted with aspiring players.

“Maybe because we never had this kind of a situation before... It was a half-an-hour session and I enjoyed explaining to them the basics and fundamentals of the game. My best wishes for the young paddlers of the academy,” he said.

The academy management wants to stay connected with its trainees during the crisis.

“Our main purpose is to keep the students motivated, help them stay fit and stay connected with the coaches. We also celebrated a student’s birthday online,” Chatterjee said.

“We have players from four to 16-years-old… we are like a family and we want to stay connected in such a situation. That is also one of our targets,” she said.