Turning the Tables

TABLE TENNIS IS one sport where India has made considerable improvement in the last few years. Against all odds, the team won two medals at the 2018 Asian Games. The momentum was sustained in the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in July 2022, which was also a very good outing for our paddlers led by Sharath Kamal.

Since then, we have seen consistently good performances from the players worldwide. Be it Manika Batra winning a bronze at the Asian Table Tennis Championships or India beating higher-ranked opponents in the World Table Tennis Championships to make it to the round of 16, it is a sport that is surely on an upswing. Going forward, we do have a chance, maybe an outside one, in the mixed doubles, for example. The Indian pair of G Sathiyan and Manika Batra has notched up some really good performances, while in men’s doubles, Sharath Kamal and Sathiyan, too, have played some good matches, including in the world championships where they lost a very close contest, 2-3, in the pre-quarterfinals.

In women’s doubles, too, the pair of Sreeja Akula and Diya Chitale has been impressive. And that’s where the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) League, which will host the finals on July 30, has made a real difference.

The UTT, which was started in 2017 by Vita and Jalaj Dani, has over the years become a major platform for Indian and international stars in showcasing their skills. More so for the Indians because it allows our players the exposure and opportunity of playing with international stars for close to a month.

“The idea is to get our players to play with the best. If you share the same space and train with the best, it will certainly help us improve,” says Vita Dani, the mover behind the competition. As an entrepreneur, Vita isn’t new to sport. She has been the face of Chennaiyin FC in the ISL and has also been a strong support for table tennis for years now.

All of the Indian stars who I spoke to echo the same sentiment. Sreeja Akula and Diya Chitale, who will be playing doubles for India in the Asian Games, are upbeat about the impact of the UTT. “It is a very good platform for us. We are able to play with international players and the intensity of the tournament means each one of us stands to improve with the experience. For me, personally, it has been extremely enriching. I have played some good matches and such contests add to your confidence going into the Asian Games,” says Sreeja.

Diya agrees with her and says, “When I started out, there was a feeling that international players are better than us. But with competitions like the UTT, where we get to play with international players and spend time with them socially, the myth has been broken. It has added to our confidence and the results are showing. We now have the confidence of beating higher-ranked teams and players, and that will only help the sport going forward. In my case, I used to watch the UTT as a spectator and now that I am part of it and playing, I am enjoying every bit of the experience.”

One of the best things about the UTT is the format. It isn’t the conventional one that we see every day and the format is such that every point counts. Contests are decided not just by the number of matches won but also by the games and points won by the teams. Such innovations have helped add to the intensity, something both Sreeja and Diya made a point to emphasise.

“It is much faster than what we are used to and is a very different format than what you generally see. You can’t ever relax and when you are playing for your team, there is always that added pressure. You need to stand up and deliver for your team and the UTT has really been a good learning for me. It has helped me handle pressure better and that is a key takeaway,” said Sreeja.

Yet again, Diya agrees and says, “What I will add to what she said is that here every point is crucial. It is not just the match that impacts a team’s standing. Every point matters and that’s what has added to the charm of the tournament. Each one of us knows it and is giving our best in every single game, every single point. That’s what explains the intensity and the cheering. Even when I am down, for example, I get charged up by all the intensity and that helps my game. I am an aggressive player and the format works really well for me.”

Sathiyan, one of India’s best players for a while now, is eloquent about the benefits of the UTT. “It is always a good feeling to play as a team. And if you see here, the competitiveness is infectious. Each one of us wants to outdo the other and while there is tremendous mutual respect, each one wants to win and stand out. When you add quality broadcast, serious media coverage, proper marketing and quality international flavour, you are talking about a serious package,” says Sathiyan.

With the Asian Games just a month-and-a-half away, the timing could not have been better for the Indians. Each of our players can now judge where they stand and make last-minute adjustments and refinements to their game. The intensity of the UTT will also help in making them stronger mentally and absorb pressure better.

Pressure is perhaps the most used word when it comes to sport. Everyone who has played sport will tell you that there is always pressure. From fans, parent bodies, sponsors, family, and most importantly, from yourself. At the end of the day, a sportsperson is alone grappling with her or his own mind. A mind that is full of clutter and is constantly fighting to be freed. Of all the thoughts that keep flooding in, of the possibilities that keep disturbing the equilibrium, and finally, all the hope and expectation of what can be. The possibilities, options and potential going forward.

Sachin Tendulkar, the one who has played cricket with maximum pressure for a good two-and-a-half decades, describes pressure really well. According to Sachin, there are two ways to deal with pressure. First is if the pressure is kept behind a performer. Say, a billion people are behind you. In such a scenario, where the pressure is behind you and pushing you ahead, it can only help you get better and propel you further. That’s how Sachin dealt with pressure. He always used it as a tool. The second kind of pressure is when it is on top of you. If the expectations of a billion people are on your head, all it can do is weigh you down. And in such a scenario, it is impossible to perform well. It clutters your mind and colours your judgement.

One of the real legacies of the UTT is to enable our stars to deal with pressure better, something that should stand them in good stead at the forthcoming Asian Games in China, in September.

Things can only get better. This exposure a month ahead of the Asian Games should help the sport, a point emphasised by both Sreeja Akula and Diya Chitale.

Asian GamesChinaManika BatraSathiyan GnanasekaranTable Tennis