CHENNAI: The road for sportspersons can be full of impediments. For some, this reality strikes early in life. The country’s No. 1 table tennis player S Preyesh is regarded as one of the brightest talents in the sport. But the stumbling block for him is lack of funds. Following the death of his father in February, things have become tougher.
Having learnt how to hold a racquet from former national champion V Chandrasekar at the Medimix-Chandra Academy in DG Vaishnav College, the 13-year-old has come a long way in quick time. He needs support and the fraternity has extended a helping hand. Noted coach S Raman is training Preyesh at his Raman TT High Performance Center free of cost. He has also helped him take part in tournaments, which is important to improve rankings.
However, a budding player with the potential to excel beyond national confines needs systematic support for coaching, training, physical activities and exposure. “After his father passed away, Raman Sir is helping us a lot. But it is embarrassing to go to him for help all the time. My son needs funds for taking part in national and international tournaments. Accommodation, food and travel is expensive,” said S Preetha, Preyesh’s mother.
It’s not that Preyesh has not received any assistance at all. But a player of his talent requires to be nurtured in a more organised manner. And for his mother, bringing up a budding sportsman alongside running a family is becoming difficult.
“I am a housewife and have no income. For day-to-day expenses, we depend on my mother’s pension. Chennai Public School (where Preyesh studies in class 8) has not been charging fees from when he was in class 3. He is also part of Khelo India and gets `10,000 every month as scholarship. Last year we got `2 lakh from actress ‘Kutty’ Padmani’s Kreeda Foundation and it was very helpful. This year we have no sponsorship. If someone comes forward to help, it will be useful,” appealed Preetha.
As far as his game goes, Preyesh has done well in recent tournaments and is looking forward to the national sub-junior championship in Himachal Pradesh this weekend. “I won the men’s state title in Madurai and also the East Zone sub-junior title. Then I secured a team bronze at the Oman Open in Muscat. I also won the West Zone sub-junior title. I’m keen to win gold at the sub-junior nationals. My aim is to keep raising the bar,” he said. Tamil Nadu coach Ramnath Prasad is impressed with Preyesh’s commitment. “He has the desire to constantly raise the bar. He’s a quick learner and hardworking. He needs to work on his attack. I’m sure he will do it in the coming days. He should do well in the sub-junior nationals.”