Table tennis in Odisha is witnessing a new era with the introduction of two well-equipped academies in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack. Since their inception, these academies have been drawing in raw talents from across the region. Additionally, the multipurpose indoor stadiums across municipalities in the state have also become a favoured space for the young and aspiring paddlers.

Located in the Laxmisagar area of Bhubaneswar, the Odisha Table Tennis Academy has a total of 76 young players turn up for coaching between the U11 to U19 age categories. According to a press release from the Department of Sports & Youth Services, there are around 20 master players and four para-players as well who hone their skills at the academy.

Meanwhile, the Cuttack Table Tennis Academy at CDA has a total of 150 players across both youth and masters categories. Furthermore, to identify and nurture more talent from the state, both academies have started their school outreach program for full-fledged camps in the summer.

Speaking about the vision, Cuttack Table Tennis Academy Coach, Raj S Subramaniam said, "Cuttack is the hub of Table Tennis and the academy has been providing that platform to both youth and masters. We are also training the U8 age group kids as well so that they gain the knowledge of the sport right from their initial days."