PANAJI: IT wouldn't be out of order to say that the Ultimate Table Tennis is fast-becoming PB Abhinandh's favourite hunting ground. After playing a big role in U Mumba's title run as a debutant last year, the youngster from Chennai has been continuing to thrive this season, albeit for a new team -- Dempo Goa Challengers.
However, Wednesday didn't go as per plan for him as lost against India No 1 Manav Thakkar of UP Prometheans. Despite the setback (only second defeat in singles category this term), he remains upbeat. The 18-year-old is now hopeful of course-correction ahead of the crucial semifinals, beginning Friday.
So far this season, he has 11 wins -- the joint-highest -- and he is not looking to slow down any time soon. Earlier this year, he joined forces with Divyanshi Bhowmick to capture the mixed doubles gold at the WTT Youth Star Contender in Doha. In the U19 men's singles event of the recently-held Asian Youth Table Tennis Championships, he had narrowly missed out on a gold medal by point.
It was a similar story in the national circuit, where he had narrowly missed out on the top prize in the U19 singles category but had led Tamil Nadu to victory in the U19 team event. With just a year of junior table tennis left, he is intent on signing off on a high.
"My aim is to be in the top 4 of world youth rankings, and to get into the top 100 in the senior level just before I fully turn senior. That way, I could enter the circuit in good shape and a good ranking as well," he told The New Indian Express.
He has an unassuming look but brings plenty of swagger while in full flow during his matches. His killer serves and his aggressive approach on the table keeps his opponents on their toes. But his hunger to become the best is what keeps him going. Videos of the sport’s best players like Ma Long and Fan Zhendong capture the imaginations of the 18-year-old. "We (Long) share the same game style, but I have fingers on the back and that's different. I would watch his game, I would admire his game style and everything, but starting out, my first idol was Fan Zhendong. I love to watch his games. To this day also, I would watch his previous matches from 2017 or 2018," he said.
The rest of the year will be crucial for the teenager as he aims to evolve further. "I am playing two WTT tournaments (Youth Contender and Feeder) in Laos and I hope to win all the categories, which I am playing in – the U19 category in the youth contender, as well as the singles, doubles and mixed doubles. The benchmark which I have for this year is to become national champion, and try to win the world championships in the U19 category," he signed off.
