NEW DELHI: India open their table tennis campaign early on Saturday and the start could not have been tougher. The pairing of A Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra will face off against World No 1 pair of Lin Yun Ju and Cheng I Ching early on Saturday.
There were a lot of talks centred around a historic medal in the sport especially after the Commonwealth Games and Asian Games displays back in 2018. But the pandemic, lack of competition and very little practice together mean it will be a monumental task to achieve success this time around.
Sharath was however bullish when it came to the pair's chances. "The draw could have been slightly kinder but if a medal is an aim, then you got to beat the best. And the best time to meet such a top duo is the first match when both teams won't be as sharp as normally they can be," the 39-year-old told The New Indian Express after practice from the Games Village.
TOPS and SAI's analytical wing have come up with detailed videos regarding the opposition and a strategy has been prepared. And that involves going for the jugular right from the off. "They are slow starters and if they lose the opening game, they can be put under pressure. So that is the aim. We need to start strong," he revealed.
While practice back in India has been far from ideal, the two have put in decent shifts in Tokyo. Despite all the hype back home, Sharath, now in his fourth Games appearance, remains calm and composed and knows exactly what is required. "We know where we stand. That is most important. Pressure is always there but we need to produce the goods when it matters. We have done so in the past so there is no reason why we cannot repeat the same. My message has been not to think of ourselves as underdogs. Just go and play confidently and see where it takes us," the Chennai paddler added.
The singles draw has not been kind either with a showdown with Chinese legend Ma Long in the offing. The 20th seed is drawn to meet the reigning champion in round three provided he clears the second round (first-round bye).
If G Sathiyan, who will make his Olympics debut, clears the second round hurdle, he will face Japanese sensation and third seed Harimoto Tomokazu, whom he stunned in the team event of the Asian Championships a couple of years ago.
The Opening Ceremony was attended by Sathiyan alone as the remaining three all have matches on Saturday.
ALSO SEE: