CHENNAI: On the draft day, ahead of the fifth season of Ultimate Table Tennis, Nithyashree Mani was not in the plans of any of the franchises. However, once Indian Olympian Sreeja Akula was ruled out of the season due to a stress fracture, the 21-year-old found a place in the Jaipur Patriots. The Chennai-born and bred spoke about her experience in the UTT, the transition from junior to senior level, the support of the coaching staff and more. Excerpts:
On her experience in the debut UTT season
It has been a great experience for me at this tournament because honestly, no one expects anything from me. My only job there is to go out and enjoy the game. Be as aggressive as I can. I am really glad that I am able to execute what I have practiced so far. I am even more happy that I am going in the right direction.
On replacing Sreeja in Patriots
I had other plans at this time. I was scheduled to go to a few WTT matches. This is completely out of the box for me. I wanted to come here and support my coach’s team (Her coach, Subin Kumar, is one of the coaches of Chennai Lions). I didn’t know I would be playing. It took me some time to digest the fact that I am replacing Sreeja Akula because it is a very big shoe to fill. She has performed at her best for the past year. My only thought was that I didn’t want to fill in her shoes but stand in my own shoes and be comfortable in it. Whatever comes my way will be there. If it is not good then better luck next time.
On her TT journey
I didn’t know there was a sport called table tennis 12 years ago. My father was a football player and just wanted me to play some sport. When I was in school, I played basketball and also played some TT as well. But then TT had a special place so I quit basketball and then the passion grew. I still love basketball, but TT made me happier.
On the transition from junior to senior level
For me, initially, the transition was a little difficult. Last year was not that good for me at the domestic level. I expected too much from myself and mainly focused on results. When you go up a level, people expect you to perform. I put immense pressure on myself that I have to win. It has changed me and now I have focussed more on practice. I feel, how you enjoy the sport is more important. Not just going after the results. My coach has helped me through this. He is not just my on-table coach, but off-table as well he has helped me. He is the person who has never given up on me over the last 12 years. When you know there is going to be a person who will be there with you in the ups and downs, and they won’t judge you no matter what, it gives you the biggest strength.
On coach Ghosh
The biggest advantage of having Somnath sir on my side is how aggressive he is on the table. The way he shouts and encourages is a separate level of motivation. I am really glad that he had faith and chose me as a replacement for Sreeja, which would have been a difficult decision to make for many coaches because I was not even in the draft. There were many options for him, but I am just grateful that he chose me. He has told me no matter what just give my best. If you win, we will appreciate you, if you lose, no complaints. That gives a player an immense amount of confidence.
On the importance of UTT
To get the opportunity to play against some of the better-ranked players in the world, that too in India, I think, is a good experience for me and of course a great exposure. If I win, that’s the best feeling, but if I don’t, I am taking so many valuable lessons out of this. I don’t separate Indian players or foreign players, for me, everyone is the same. In this game, anybody can beat anybody. It is just 11 points.
And on that day if you can score 11 points faster than your opponent, you are going to win. I think UTT is doing a great job promoting the sport in India. The popularity of the sport is increasing year by year. It has also supported many Indian players to perform at international level. The confidence that players have after playing in the UTT is different. More people are talking about it and gives us the confidence that we are going in the right direction. It boosts your confidence.