CHENNAI: What a year it has been for Anthony Amalraj! Two Pro Tour silver medals in singles and a doubles gold and to top it off, the 31-year-old finally managed to fulfill a long standing ambition of his — win the coveted Arjuna Award. He is not one to rest on his laurels which he showed in the recently-concluded LIC-IOC All India National Ranking Table Tennis Championships (South Zone) in Dharwad.
Trailing India’s top paddler A Sharath Kamal 3-0 in the summit clash, Amalraj upped the ante when required as he clawed his way back into the contest. In the decider, he did not let Sharath settle into any sort of rhythm as he claimed the crown and earned `70,000 for his efforts. “I think I’m going through a purple patch. The Arjuna Award has given me a lot of confidence. Not once did I feel under pressure during the contest. I am feeling rejuvenated and I am ready for even more,” Amalraj told Express. Earlier in the semifinals, he had got the better of G Sathiyan 4-1.
The former Commonwealth Games silver medallist felt there was extra motivation for him to win. He had just won the Arjuna and Sharath was returning to a national competition after a while. “I had to prove that I was a worthy winner. There is no better way than beating World No 47 Sharath. He has been the torchbearer for the sport in the country and he congratulated me on the win,” the World No 137 added.
Amalraj keeps on returning to his Arjuna whenever any topic comes up. He feels deeply about it and it is evident from the way he speaks. “I have been sending my name for quite a long time. I felt I deserved it more than others on previous occasions. Last year, I thought my time was over and there was no way I would get the award. Since there is no point in cribbing, I went on about my business. When I got the call from MP Singh sir (TTFI secretary general) this time, I was over the moon! Hopefully, I will keep producing results. I really want to thank TTFI for their support.”
He has already set himself a few targets. Instead of playing in one of the top European leagues like his compatriots, he plans to play more events on the ITTF Pro circuit in a bid to break into the world top-100 as well as to prioritise domestic commitments. “I have come close to entering the top 100 on quite a few occasions. Already four Indians are there in the list and I desperately want to achieve that. The CWG team for next year is yet to be announced and I want to make the cut. Hopefully things will fall into place,” the ONGC employee added.
Sharath gets practice
Sharath had come down to India needing practice ahead of the 30th ITTF-ATTU Asian Cup, commencing in Ahmedabad next week. He did get practice but needs to put the loss behind him. “Coming from abroad, you need to get acclimatised to the conditions here. My draw was not the best as I didn’t get strong opponents. But the final was quite good.”
ayantan@newindianexpress.com