Gaude was speaking as the chief guest at the Dream UTT Juniors Season 2 Final, held at the Dr Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium on Sunday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Highlighting the significance of hosting marquee sporting events, he said that tournaments such as Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) are enhancing Goa\u2019s sporting ecosystem while contributing to the state\u2019s economy and global visibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGoa has successfully hosted UTT Season 7 and the Dream UTT Juniors tournament. Our Hon\u2019ble Chief Minister often says that Goa is known not only for its sea, sand and sun, but also for sports. Along with being a premier tourism destination, Goa is now being recognised as a major sports destination. Events of this scale generate economic activity and further strengthen Goa\u2019s identity as a hub for international sporting events,\u201d Gaude said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He noted that hosting a professional league such as UTT provides Goa with valuable international exposure while showcasing the state\u2019s ability to organise world-class sporting competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUTT has presented table tennis in a completely new light. Spectators have turned up in large numbers to watch world-class competition, and Goa has enjoyed this experience over the past few weeks. With leading international players participating, the tournament has added tremendous value to Indian table tennis while placing Goa prominently on the global sporting map,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Gaude also underlined the importance of such events in inspiring the next generation of athletes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYoung players gain immense motivation by watching the country\u2019s best and international athletes compete. During the Dream UTT Juniors tournament, India\u2019s top-ranked Under-15 player was in action, and such exposure can inspire many aspiring players to pursue the sport seriously,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Referring to Goa\u2019s successful hosting of several major sporting events, Gaude said the state continues to attract proposals for national and international competitions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cGoa has successfully hosted prestigious events such as the FIDE World Cup, Ironman, the Asian Bridge Championship, the Asian Gymnastics Championships and the FIFA U-17 World Cup. We continue to receive proposals to host more international events, and the Government of Goa, the Department of Sports and Youth Affairs and the Sports Authority of Goa remain committed to supporting such initiatives that further elevate Goa\u2019s sporting stature,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Speaking on grassroots development, Gaude announced that the Goa Government will soon inaugurate the Goa Chess Academy and expressed confidence that a dedicated government-run Table Tennis Academy could also become a reality in the future.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThrough our Regular Coaching Classes (RCC) at centres across Goa, including Campal, Margao and Peddem, we are nurturing young talent at the grassroots level. Just as we are establishing the Goa Chess Academy, we can also envision a dedicated Goa Table Tennis Academy. We are also strengthening facilities under the Khelo India Centre of Excellence, where sports such as table tennis, badminton and swimming are being developed further,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With India targeting the hosting of the 2036 Olympic Games, Gaude urged young athletes to pursue sport with commitment and discipline from an early age.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSport demands dedication and sustained effort. The Government of Goa has created one of the country\u2019s finest sports infrastructure networks, with modern sports complexes spread across the state. Young athletes should make full use of these facilities to realise their potential. As India works towards hosting the 2036 Olympics, today\u2019s Under-12 and Under-14 athletes could well become the Olympians of tomorrow, provided they remain focused and committed to their goals,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Goa Khabar: Goa\u2019s growing portfolio of national and international sporting events is steadily reinforcing the state\u2019s position as a leading sports destination, according to Ajay Gaude, Executive Director of the Sports Authority of Goa and Director of Sports and Youth Affairs. Gaude was speaking as the chief guest at the Dream UTT Juniors Season 2 […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":25169,"featured_media":114106,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[155,6],"tags":[3794,38],"class_list":["post-114105","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-155","category-6","tag-featured","tag-goa"],"read":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114105","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/25169"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=114105"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114105\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":114107,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/114105\/revisions\/114107"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/114106"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=114105"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=114105"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=114105"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.goakhabar.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/20.07.2026.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n