A nine-member Pakistan contingent has confirmed its participation in the South Asian Junior Table Tennis Championships, even as Maldives have opted out of the regional tournament, scheduled to be held from July 20 to 22, here.
"Pakistani players and officials have been granted visas and they will feature in the competition. Maldives haven't sent their entry for the tournament due to a financial crunch," Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) general secretary, Dhanraj Choudhary said.
Now there will be only six teams in the championship -- India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh and Bhutan.
The Pakistani contingent includes three junior players, three in cadet category and three officials.
The tournament will be held at the Indira Gandhi Stadium. The event was shifted from Ranchi after the organisers in Jharkhand expressed their inability to the stage the event.
The winner and runner-up of the team competition will qualify for the Asian Juniors in Doha, Qatar in September.
