Assam, IIS Launch Guwahati High-Performance Camp; Thai Coach Leads Table Tennis

Assam's Department of Sports & Youth Welfare and the Inspire Institute of Sport have kicked off a multi-sport high-performance camp in Guwahati aimed at strengthening talent ID and coach development across the state. Launched on January 18, the programme covers seven sports and has already started table tennis, chess, and tennis sessions, with taekwondo scheduled to begin next.

The table tennis portion is running at Bhogeswari Phukanani Indoor Stadium in Dispur under international coach Sekpong Yomjinda of Thailand. Fifty-two boys and girls are taking part alongside six coaches in a condensed technical and tactical block that runs through January 24. The setup emphasizes long-term athlete development principles, modern practice methods, and coach upskilling aligned to India’s Olympic roadmap.

For local paddlers, this is more than a short clinic. The camp gives young players exposure to international coaching methods, focusing on stroke mechanics, footwork patterns, service and return strategies, and match-play scenarios designed to bridge the gap between district-level competition and higher-performance pathways. Having a coach with international experience in Guwahati brings fresh perspectives on training periodization and skill progression that can be immediately applied at club and state levels.

Coaches attending the camp are participating in coach development sessions that prioritize evidence-based drills, player monitoring, and practice design tailored to different age groups. Those sessions aim to create a multiplier effect: coaches who adopt these methods will carry new practices back to grassroots clubs and school programmes across Assam, potentially improving talent pipelines over several seasons.

Organizers framed the initiative as a long-term investment rather than a one-off boost. By combining talent identification with targeted development and coach education, the Assam Department of Sports & Youth Welfare and Inspire Institute of Sport hope to create clearer pathways for promising athletes to progress into national camps and meet benchmarks set out in India’s Olympic roadmap.

The Guwahati camp also serves immediate community value by concentrating resources in one accessible venue, creating a forum where parents, local clubs, and state officials can observe current standards in athlete preparation. With the camp concluding on January 24 and taekwondo next in the schedule, the short-term calendar provides immediate opportunities for assessment and follow-up selection.

For players and coaches in Assam, the camp brings practical know-how and the chance to be seen by national-level scouts; for the broader table tennis community, it signals a step toward more systematic, long-term development in the northeast.