CHENNAI: Since Massimo Costantini was reappointed by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) as coach for a second term following India’s disastrous outing in the Rio Olympics where all four paddlers exited in the very first round, Indian table tennis has undergone a renaissance. Noteworthy achievements have followed with Indian paddlers doing consistently well on the Pro Tour. Record-breaking medal hauls at the 2018 Commonwealth Games and Asian Games notwithstanding, Max, as he is affectionately called, has decided to part ways with TTFI.
The amiable Italian has a contract till September 22. TTFI and Sports Authority of India (SAI) tried to keep him on board, offering the 60-year-old an improved deal (10 per cent hike as per SAI standards). But due to family reasons, he will not be the national coach anymore. His reasoning is that he has been away from his family for eleven years and wants to spend time at home. It has been reliably learnt that the Italian has been offered a high-performance position with International Table Tennis Federation, a role which he can fulfil from home.
His first tenure as India coach was from early 2009 till the end of the 2010 Commonwealth Games. Even in his first essay, India had done commendably, winning five medals in New Delhi. After such a successful association, TTFI do not want to cut chords completely. They have submitted an offer to keep him on board as an external observer. “He is set to return to India on September 18. We will have a meeting with him where SAI officials will also be present. We are hopeful of an amicable solution,” TTFI general secretary MP Singh told Express.
TTFI were on the lookout for foreign coaches prior to the Jakarta Games. They had advertised for the same on their website, for which the deadline was August 20. According to reliable sources, a tentative four-coach shortlist has been forwarded to SAI, which includes coaches from Sweden and Portugal. A foreign coach for junior and subjunior paddlers is also in the pipeline for which Skype interviews have been conducted. Incidentally, after TTFI learnt of Massimo’s impending departure, they even tried to rope in China’s head coach but could not go through with it due to his high wage demands. India’s highest ranked paddler A Sharath Kamal sums up his stint succinctly.
“He is extremely good with paperwork. Ever since he came back, he took charge of the entire planning department — from arranging exposure trips for juniors to fixing a schedule for all the senior stars. His patience is exemplary. “His biggest advantage was he was aware of the situation in India. He met SAI officials to get our budget increased and really lobbied for us. Our performances are a result of his hard work.” India’s paddlers did not know about the former USA coach’s decision until quite late. It was quite sudden.
On the day Sharath lost his singles Round of 16 tie at Jakarta, Max dropped the bomb. Players understood because they were aware of the difficulties Max was facing, being away from home for so long. Brought in to prepare India for the Asian Games, he leaves with India on the cusp of achieving something great and an Olympic medal is no more a distant dream. “It is imperative that the growth continues. Hopefully a structure will be put in place now. There can be no looking back now,” Sharath opined.
ayantan@newindianexpress.com