Mangaluru: The Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences (RGUHS) Mysore Zonal Table Tennis (Men and Women) Tournament 2023 was inaugurated by Ashwin Kumar Padukone in the presence of Director Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho of Father Muller Charitable Institutions (FMCI) on 1 August 2023 at 10 am.
The tournament jointly organized by RGUHS and Father Muller College of Nursing (FMCON) saw players from various colleges under RGUHS ready to showcase their competitiveness. The venue being the fully air-conditioned modern indoor stadium of FMCI was the most sought after and accepted venue for the RGUHS indoor sports events.
Ashwin Padukone, a national level TT player and an internationally certified level 3 coach for the game urged the student-sportspersons who are into medical and paramedical courses to be messengers of sports activities to parents. Since many trust the medical person their emphasis on cultivating sports-related activities to parents of young children will bear more weightage. He talked about how TT was a complicated game with 80 or more spins and that it carried along with it many levels to accommodate all genres of players from the differently abled to pro athletes.
Rev. Fr Richard Aloysius Coelho who presided over the inaugural echoed the message of overall wellbeing as the key to a well-rounded human being. Academics and sports or health activities, spiritual enlightenment, should go hand in hand keeping the mind, body and soul in equilibria balance. He prodded the young to be vigilant and careful as their lives mattered to their parents who had expectations from them.
The whole event was under the supervision of Sr Jacintha Dsouza Principal of FMCON AND FMSON, Ramyashree S (FMCON) Sports Coordinator and Sushma K R, Physical Education Instructor (FMSON). Dr Suresh representing the Mysore Zone for Sports of RGUHS was present as an observer. Dr Agnes Vice principal represented FMCON on the dais.
The monument committee members, faculty, staff and students, including the sportspersons, were present. Father Muller Indoor Stadium is the most sought-after destination for indoor sports and health-related activities by the District administration, RGUHS and many residents of Mangalore. The activities they provide are TT, Badminton, gymming and Yoga.
