One of the top Table Tennis players from Tamil Nadu, Deenadayalan Vishwa was killed in a road accident at Nongpoh in Meghalaya while three other paddlers were injured when their taxi collided with a 12-wheel truck at Ri-Bhoi district on Sunday.

According to reports, the four players from the southern state of India were on their way from Guwahati Airport to Shillong in a tourist taxi to take part in the 83^rd Senior National Table Tennis Championship.

Police said the 12-wheel truck coming from the opposition direction hit the taxi in Shangbangla area at around 1:50 pm.

Vishwa, 18, died on the way to Nongpoh Civil Hospital in Ri-Bhoi district, while the other players are now admitted at the North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences (NEIGRIHMS) in Meghalaya. They are out of danger, the Meghalaya Table Tennis Association (MTTA) said in a statement.

The teenager had won several junior, sub-junior and cadet titles in the country and abroad and his demise is a huge blow to the sport in India, it said.

Vishwa’s family members are scheduled to reach Nongpoh where his body was kept.

MTTA Vice-President Bruce P Marak and General Secretary Chiranjib Choudhury expressed condolences on the death of Vishwa, an extremely gifted and promising table tennis player.

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