The Siliguri Municipal Corporation (SMC) will officially inaugurate its own Table Tennis Academy on January 24 at the SMC Indoor Stadium in Deshbandhupara.

The plan to convert the indoor stadium into a table tennis coaching centre was first proposed in 2021, but was delayed due to the Covid pandemic.

Mayor Gautam Deb stated that the initiative aims to nurture young table tennis players of the city by providing structured training from veteran coaches and former national-level players.

“This academy is an effort to help budding paddlers excel by offering proper coaching from some of the country’s most renowned table tennis players and coaches,” Deb said on Monday.

In April 2025, the Trinamool Congress–run civic board announced that it would proceed with developing the academy to support aspiring players.

According to the mayor, the academy will start with around 80 paddlers. Nearly 50 of them have enrolled as beginners and the rest are players of varying ranking levels. The promising players will receive coaching four days a week, while others will train three days a week, he added.

Built in the nineties, the indoor stadium has hosted several major indoor sporting events over the years. The facility, which can accommodate up to 5,000 spectators, was recently renovated by the civic board and a state-level table tennis championship was hosted there.

Deb said discussions were held with Arjuna Awardee and former national team coach Mantu Ghosh, selector Subrata Roy, veteran coach Amit Dam, Ashitava Dutta and several former paddlers. They will guide the players.

A source said the academy will primarily focus on training players in the under-10 age group, considered ideal for skill development.

Six table tennis boards are currently functional at the academy; four boards will be added in the near future.

The civic body will bear most of the operational expenses, including electricity, while a nominal fee will be charged from trainees, said a source.