CHENNAI: ‘Seven nation army’ by the White Stripes has become a household track across sporting events. The trend started by a bunch of visiting Club Brugge fans in Milan was soon adopted across Europe.
But on Friday, it was used for table tennis as well. Yes, as the players of Dabang Smashers TTC and Shaze Challengers were introduced, the track was played followed by Eye of the Tiger.
With the DJ getting his act right, the only thing that was missing was a roaring cheer. The crowd at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium was more or less the same as it was on the first day.
In the right corner, a young man with glasses was seated along with the Challengers team, cheering every point with a lot of joy. At times, the shadow practice and expressions on his face suggested that he was discussing tactics with his coach and other teammates.
Manav Thakkar is one of the youngest Indian players in UTT. After a superb domestic season, an event like this is new for the youngster. Though he was not in action for the Challengers, Manav was not disappointed.
“This is my first ever league. Even if I don’t play today, the whole experience is new and refreshing for me. I get to mingle with a lot of players and I am learning a lot,” the 17-year-old said.
Since the UTT has different rules compared to most European and top leagues around the world, the question is if the league will help first-timers like Manav in the long run.
“I can’t say much about that because I have never played in a league abroad. But it might be difficult to adapt suddenly. Even here, I am starting to get familiar with the new rules and it’s only the second day. When I play outside, it works in the same way for me.
“There are many rules here. For example, we have to serve within 10 seconds. That is a tricky one. I am not used to such a rule. But normally, I am sure I don’t take more than 10 seconds. It’s all in your head,” said Manav, who is part of the PSPB stable, the undisputed champions of the sport in national events for years.
Manav will be representing India at the Youth Olympics in Argentina next year and he is also a part of the ITTF’s year-long scholarship under the Youth Olympic support programme.
“The scholarship is very useful. It will help me get new equipment and go on exposure trips. I have already been to Japan and Sweden. A trip to Slovenia is on the cards. That, along with tournaments like this, will get me some experience and confidence before the bigger tests,” he concluded.
Results: Dabang Smashers 12 lost to Shaze Challengers 15 (Dabang players first): Marcos Freitas bt Soumyajit Ghosh 2-1; Madhurika Patkar lost to Han Ying 0-3; Kou Lei/Madhurika Patkar lost to Petrissa Solja/Soumyajit Ghosh 0-3; Kou Lei bt Andrej Gacina 2-1; Kim Song I lost to Han Ying 1-2; Anthony Amalraj lost to Andrej Gacina 1-2; Kim Song bt Mouma Das 3-0; Marcos Freitas bt Li Ping 2-1; Tetyana Bilenko lost to Petrissa Solja 1-2.