NEW DELHI: Better late than never. That’s how both Sandeep Gupta and Arup Basak summed up their feelings after their names were recommended for Dronacharya and Dhyan Chand Awards respectively on Saturday.
While Gupta’s coaching resume — which includes being the first Indian to produce two Olympians — got him the selection panel’s nod, Basak’s lifetime-achievement award comes after the former national champ moved into a coaching role with the national team. Neha Aggarwal and Manika Batra are Gupta’s most famous students. Both have represented the country at the Olympic stage. Manika’s incredible run — which included Commonwealth and Asiad medals — brought the spotlight onto the former junior national champ.
“Coaches are only as good as their students, and I’m proud to have produced two such bright stars for the country. Everybody is interested in the life of an athlete, but very few know how much a coach has to sacrifice to help his wards reach the top,” said Gupta.
Gupta admits that his life as a coach has taken a toll on him. “I have never taken even three days of leave since I got married. Very few know that when I started coaching, private table tennis coaching institutes in Delhi was an unheard-of concept, as most kids were just interested in cricket.”
Neha was the first person to congratulate her former coach. While Manika has since moved on to train with Sanmay Paranjape in Pune, Gupta holds no grudges. “Everybody has the right to choose what is best for them. Yes, it hurt when she left. And it was disappointing considering that I was the one who inducted her into the sport. But I always pray the best for her, and I hope she goes on to shine even more in the coming days.”
Gupta, who has a coaching institute in Pitampura and Hans Raj Model School, currently trains the likes of Parth Virmani and Anthony Amalraj. He thanked Table Tennis Federation of India for its support, and hopes that the government continues to support paddlers and their coaches.
From football to TT
Basak, who trained under the legendary Jayanta Pushilal in Kolkata, says he even used to run away from his table tennis club to play football, as the former is an indoor sport. “I loved football. But over time, I realised where my talent lay. It turned out to be a good choice!”
Basak’s playing career included a senior title and two junior titles. He held the record of being at the top of the domestic ranking for eight consecutive years. He also has five Commonwealth titles to his name, as well six South Asian Games medals. “I had tried for Arjuna twice during my playing days but got rejected every time. I never bothered after that. This year, former national coach Bhawani Mukherjee suggested I put my name. It is funny that I got the award for my playing career after I have shifted to coaching duties.”
His next task is Asian Championships. “A good coach works in the background and I hope my advice can help our paddlers conquer the Asian challenge.”