Indian team can rise to top 5: Noted TT coach

Renowned TT coach Richard McAfee attributes the good show of paddlers to the development of Indian coaches.

BENGALURU :  It’s fair to say that Indian table tennis is on the rise. India paddlers managed their best ever medal tally at the 2018 Commonwealth Games (3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze) while they secured two bronze medals in the Asian Games for the first time later that year. While India returned empty-handed from the World Championships this year, they did well in the Commonwealth Championships. Those performances have also reflected in the ITTF rankings as two male paddlers — G Sathiyan (30) and A Sharath Kamal (35) — are currently in the top 50 while women players Manika Batra (71) and Ayhika Mukherjee (95) are placed in top 100. Renowned TT coach Richard McAfee attributes the good show of paddlers to the development of Indian coaches.

“I have been visiting India for the last few years now. And from what I have seen, Indian table tennis is definitely on the rise. Some of the players are being ranked highly and have started beating good players. In my opinion, India should be in the top 5 nations very soon. India has more coaches, academies and infrastructure — probably second only to China,” said McAfee, who was in the city to conduct a week-long high-performance camp at the Champions Table Tennis Center, which is established by former player Anjana Rao.

McAfee feels the coaches’ coaching camps by the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF), held over the last few years across the country, has changed the way Indians play. “The biggest improvement India has made is in the field of coaches’ education. When I came here a few years ago, coaches used to old-fashioned. Now, the kids use modern technique and that tells me that local coaches are doing a great job,” the American said.

The Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) has also played a big role in grooming the next generation of players by exposing them to various competitions abroad. With a professional league like Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT), more players are getting the opportunity to rub shoulders with top paddlers. “TTFI has done a great job in sending the cadets to play all over the world. The quicker you expose them to a higher level, the better they will get. That helps a lot in shaping their careers,” said McAfee.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com