CHENNAI: This time last year, when schools, colleges and offices were shut down and the country was preparing to go into a lockdown, little had changed for S Preyesh. The class 9 student of Chennai Public School went about his routine of practising for his chosen sport, table tennis. A year of rigorous training later, Preyesh has won the national sub-junior title.
The talented youngster survived a scare in the first round but was in his element throughout the remaining part of the tournament. “I am happy to have won the title. The enormous efforts of the last eight months have finally paid off. During the lockdown, I used to practise for six-seven hours a day. This, apart from the time I spent on fitness. All this came in handy at the nationals,” he beams.
Preyesh took a systematic approach towards honing his skill during the lockdown, by undergoing regular practice sessions two each in the morning and evening. “My regular schedule in the morning was fitness from 6.30 to 8.30. After that I had a separate session for service practice and then multi-ball session for from 10 am to 12 pm. I used to take a break for two hours and resume practice at 2.30 pm; that went on till 5 pm. After that I used to go home and study,” he says, adding that he unwound every day by playing games on his mobile phone. Even after online schooling began, Preyesh made sure to devote equal time to studies and for the game.
Preyesh’s coach is S Raman, a former Olympian and Arjuna awardee. His influence has been immense on the youngster. “Raman sir asked me to work on footwork, backhand topspin and banana flip in preparation for the nationals. During the nationals he asked me to warm up well before matches, stay focused on the process and not to think about results. This worked wonders for me,’’ shares Preyesh.
At the event, Preyesh entered the game without any worries about the virus as he says the event was well organised following all the SOPs. This helped him give his best while facing his toughest competitor. “My toughest opponent was Shankhadip Das from Bengal. But, the toughest match was the one I played against a Rajasthan player in the first round. For a first-round match, he was very good. I had to be on my toes to win the match,’’ he says.
Fitness is of prime importance to Preyesh and he is grateful to noted trainer Ramji Srinivasan, at Sports Dynamix, for making him agile. “He has been a great source of strength for me. His inputs have made me understand my body better and stay fit. At times, we have to play many matches in a day with little rest. Here, Ramji sir’s inputs have been handy,’’ says Preyesh, insisting that his goal for the season is to win many international medals for our country.
Focus on fitness
Fitness is of prime importance to Preyesh and he is grateful to noted trainer Ramji Srinivasan, at Sports Dynamix, for making him agile. “He has been a great source of strength for me. His inputs have made me understand my body better and stay fit.”