Massimo Costantini: Bringing more to the table for Indian paddlers

With things looking up for Indian table tennis, players will have to contend with heightened expectations in Jakarta.
Ace Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal (File | AP)
Ace Indian paddler Achanta Sharath Kamal (File | AP)

CHENNAI: ‘Confusion’.The word current India national table tennis coach Massimo Costantini used to sum up the situation during his first spell in charge, back in 2009 and 2010.

“Back then, players didn’t kn­o­w the best way to achieve their go­­als. They were a confused lot. Breaking into the top-100 was a far-fetched dream. There was no clear-cut plan in place on how to pr­oceed with things,” the Italian sa­ys.

“What I noticed back then was the lack of a winning menta­lity among them. After a point of time, coaching is more about man-management. Motivation was the need of the hour. And someone to connect the dots, a guide if you will,” Massimo, called Max by players, says.

There were highs at that point as well. The 2010 CWG saw India net five medals (one gold, one silver and three bronze). But looking back, the 60-year-old’s first spell saw the emergence of the next batch, including G Sathiyan, Soumyajit Ghosh and Harmeet Desai. Something that was even more significant.
And the new batch was adventurous and wanted to prove themselves. The trio were members of the Indian team that won a historic bronze in the 2011 World Junior TT Championships in Bahrain. A strong start to a memorable journey.

After a lacklustre 2014 CWG, the performance graph of the players started stagnating, mainly because players did not play abroad, something that both Max and former coach Peter Engel tried to change.

“Four to five Pro Tour meets were not enough to climb the rankings ladder. When I came back in 2016, I attended a couple of meetings with Sports Authority of India, the sports ministry and Table Tennis Federation of India. All the shareholders showed a lot of enthusiasm. And I started developing a blueprint for the coming years.”

Players started signing contr­acts with league clubs across Europe. Appearances on the World Tour increased. Beating higher-ranked paddlers became a regular occurrence. All this was ma­inly because of improved fitness levels.

“If I were to pinpoint one reason that separates India from top nations, it would be fitness. Players now do a lot of cardio to improve stamina. Legwork is also vital. And for power hitting, you have to work on reducing fat content and building muscle. Even a strict diet has been started,” World No 39 Sathiyan says.

A Sharath Kamal was the only top-100 player for quite some time. From playing abroad to becoming the first Indian to win a Pro-Tour tournament, he was the benchmark that all Indian paddlers aspired to emulate.

The current situation is a lot brighter. Just before the CWG, there were five players in the top-100. Now there are three but two are in the top-40.

“Sharath was always under pressure, the lone hope. Now he knows we are there to back him up,” says Harmeet. The Asiad-bound squad has players from three age groups, showing India’s strength in depth.

The women have been slower but progress takes time. Manika Batra is in the top-100. Doubles medals have come on the World Tour from Manika and veteran Mouma Das. The girls are full of confidence after their CWG heroics.

“Earlier there was a mental block when it came to playing higher-ranked oppon­e­nts. But now, other nations check video footage of us. They know we are no pushovers,” Mouma says.

The sport’s popularity has gone up. The paddlers are now stars in their own rights. The Ultimate Table Tennis contributed to this. Even on social media, all paddlers have a sizeable fan following. “It is not everyone’s cup of tea. But we have a duty to popularise the sport. And social media is huge in today’s times. I have even been approached for endorsing products and agencies have come forward to handle my accounts,” Sathiyan says.

But all paddlers know fame will remain only if performances remain top notch. The Asiad is the next big target but everybody calls for expectations to be temp­ered.

“Even more than the CWG, we did commendably during the Wor­ld Championships. Asiad is a different stage. The main difference this time is we are not scared. If luck of the draw favours us, anything is possible,” Sharath says.

Ayantan@newindianexpress.com

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