KOCHI: Once it was the recreation centre of the elite, where British officers -- from pilots to engineers to captains -- gathered to spend their evenings playing table tennis. This is The Laurel Club at River Road in Fort Kochi. It was set up in 1949 by the elite citizens of Cochin and the officials of the Cochin Port. One of the oldest, it is the first table tennis club to be affiliated with the Kerala State Table Tennis Association (KSTA). The club played host to many state and national-level tournaments. But today the club has nothing much to brag about. “The last tournament took place 12 years ago,” says Sunny Mathew, the club president. “Now even if we want to conduct a tournament, we don’t have the infrastructure or the funds.” However, the club, with its 60 members, is open for children who love to play table tennis. “We have three tables where children come and play,” he says. “We do not charge any fees because we want our club to go on.” Many famous players began their careers here. The 1969 champion R S Balachandran and the 1995 national champion Ambika Radhika began playing in this club. “Former Kerala state champion Ramanujam and singer K J Yesudas were also players,” says S A S Navaz, the secretary of KSTA. “We want to conduct more tournaments, but there should be at least three to four tables and other amenities. A lot of repair work has to be done.” The club is now maintained with the funds generated by its members. “We are now going to put new tiles on the floors,” says Mathew.The importance of the club does not end here. The building, which was built by the Dutch, is about 500 years old. Earlier, it was a warehouse, which belonged to the Cochin Port Trust. The CPT then leased out the building to the club. Yet another interesting fact is that the city’s house numbering begins from this structure. The building number is No. 1/1. “This is the number given by the Cochin Corporation and it is still the same,” says Sunny. To retain this heritage site, help is a must from the Centre as well as the state government.
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