SHILLONG:
Tamil Nadu paddler 18-year-old Deenadayalan Vishwa died in a road accident on his way to Shillong at Shangbangla in Ri Bhoi district on Sunday.
The paddler was travelling to Shillong to take part in the 83rd Senior National Table Tennis Championship scheduled to be held in the city from Monday.
Vishwa and three other Tamil Nadu players were on their way in a tourist taxi from Guwahati Airport when a truck rammed into the vehicle.
According to the police, the driver of the truck (AP 16 TH 1393), which was coming from Jowai, lost control and moved on to the adjacent lane before ramming into the sedan (AS 25 CC 8413) at around 1:50 pm.
After hitting vehicle, the truck went off the road and fell into an approximately 50-metre-deep gorge.
While Vishwa and the driver of the sedan succumbed to their injuries in the Nongpoh Civil Hospital, the other three Tamil Nadu players — Ramesh Santosh Kumar, Abinash Prasannaji Srinivasan and Kishore Kumar — were rushed from Nongpoh to NEIGRIHMS here. They are in a stable condition and out of danger, doctors informed.
However, a Table Tennis Federation of India release said the taxi driver died on the spot, and Vishwa before reaching the Nongpoh Civil Hospital. The doctors declared him brought dead.
Vishwa’s father and other family members will travel to Nongpoh to receive the body on Monday.
Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma has condoled the death of Vishwa. ”Saddened to learn that Tamil Nadu paddler, Deenadayalan Vishwa passed away after an accident in Ri Bhoi District while on his way to Shillong to participate in the 83rd Senior National Table Tennis Championship in our State. With big dreams at such a young age, Deenadayalan had his whole life ahead of him. I extend my deepest condolences to his family. Have asked the team to extend all assistance to complete the necessary formalities. May his soul rest in peace.” he tweeted.
He also extended his condolences to the family of Dipal Das, the driver of the tourist vehicle who also succumbed to his injuries after the accident.
Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Table Tennis Association (MTTA) expressed grief over this unfortunate incident and expressed condolences on the demise of Vishwa, an extremely gifted and promising player.
The teenager had won several junior, sub-junior and cadet titles in the country and abroad over a short but wonderful career. The 83rd Senior National Table Tennis Championship however will go on as per schedule.
There are expected to be some 450 paddlers plus another 200 coaches, Table Tennis Federation of India officials and others coming to the state capital for the event.
The national TT team will be selected based on the players’ performances here. The mega event will take place at the Sports Authority of India’s Indoor Training Centre on the North-Eastern Hill University campus.