13 Lines Indian Table Tennis players are used to hearing

       1. "Oh so you play TT, I m sure you don't need to do a lot of physical fitness to play this sport!"

Really? Try playing against a Chinese. And somebody take him to do the footwork exercises.!

Ma Long playing forehand from backhand extreme!

     2. "What do you do?"

    "I am a table tennis player"

  "Ya ya all that is fine, but what do you really do???!!!!"

   3.   “Had you played some other sport, you would have probably made some more money.”

Sorry uncles, but what if i was born to play table tennis? What if I would not be good enough in another sport? I love TT and I am glad what it gives me back. The scenario is changing and the future looks bright!

   4.  “Oh, well its hardly shown on TV, it’s not even famous”

Sad for India, that's all I can say that. In Europe and Asian countries including China, Japan and Korea people come in huge numbers to watch, tickets sold out many times.

 

A packed TT Stadium in China  

      5.   “But you really don’t need a lot of power!”

       

Really? Try playing against a defencer?

Hitting that will surely require power!

   6.   "What, you meant tennis right?"

   

     7.   "Oh isn’t that a hobby sport?"

   Sorry dude, we do serious sport here, and many of us have well respected jobs given only because it is considered professional and a few of our stars also play in leagues abroad and are paid. Oh, not to forget the medals we have won for the country!

GOLD MEDAL at the Delhi CWG

   8.  "Who's your idol?" "Sharath Kamal." "Sorry Who???"

  

        9.  "The game isn’t expensive I m sure, my tennis/badminton/cricket/squash/etc etc bat/racket is           ** grands!"

        

Really? A tenergy 64 rubber costs 4 grand and gets worn off after 1 tournament!

Haanji!

   10.  "You are quiet tall! Isn’t TT best for the short heighted?"

 Sharath Kamal is 6, Dimitrij Ovcharov is 6.1, Vladimir Samsonov is 6.2!

HAHAHA Yeah..!

   11. " Oh we also play TT at home; many times we use the dining table. Its quiet an easy game I m sure."

TOTALLY!!!

     12.  " Oh big deal! Looks quiet easy, you just have to send the ball on the other side right!"

Oh, quiet easy na guys? Especially the backspin which Shamini gives you. Or the flat kills Mouma hits, or maybe Amalraj's speed, yeah, quiet an easy job to send the ball to the other court, isnt it?

13. "Oh ya, we too play after office, its soooo refreshing and we don't even feel tired."

Somebody get him to a training session!!!

OR RATHER PLAY LIKE THIS!

To all those who have said this or something similar to this-

We now have a day dedicated to our sport and us! Do you have something like that for your profession??? 

                                    

HAPPY WORLD TABLE TENNIS DAY!

SHARATH KAMAL ROARS BACK AGAIN!

The Indian Table Tennis fraternity was eagerly waiting for the 28th Asia Cup to start. Some were excited to watch Fan Zhendong, Xu Xin and Jun Mizutani and others were waiting to watch Ai Fukuhara and Liu Shiwen( to name a few). Little did they know that they would all end up talking about their own hero- Achanta Sharath Kamal.

The papers said that the Indians had little to offer in this tournament, judging the players only on the basis of the world rankings. But then we all know that rankings are not really a true signifier of the strength and might of a player.

Sharath Kamal, my favourite sportsperson, who never disappoints, especially on home soil and who always keeps the tricolour flying high, knew that he was ready for the battle. His training for this tournament was different; he worked on his physical fitness for a week in Dusseldorf, and then went to Denmark (where there are several Asian players to practice with). Here in Jaipur, he looked well prepared, all set to go, to show the world who he really is and that no one can ever be compared to him.  

And he did the unexpected. Critics- SILENCED!

The SMS stadium at Jaipur came to life on 13th March 2015. Achanta Sharath Kamal, the world no 49, shook the world by two back to back wins. He not only beat World no. 8 Chuan Chin Yuan 3-1 but also beat the world’s best defencer- Joo SaeHyuk,the current world no 16, in a thrilling 3-2 encounter.

And that is why he is called the ‘living legend’ of Indian table tennis.

Sharath in his interview with the ITTF revealed that his association with his teammate Panagiotis Gionis from Greece who is a defender himself is the secret behind his improved play against defenders. He readily explained that Gionis has been telling his tactics on how to play against defenders and what they don’t like. Sharath made Joo uncomfortable by skilfully changing the lengths of serves and topspins. Joo SaeHyuk is very clever, he breaks the rhythm of your play but today, Sharath was better prepared. The decider set was such a nail biting run. Trailing 2-7, Sharath kept his belief strong bringing the game closer to 8-9. The next rally was the longest in the entire match with Sharath hitting 11 topspins to win the point and then levelling the match to 9-9. The unforced error by Joo at 10-9 got the crowd cheering their lungs out. But Joo levelled it at 10-10. Keeping in mid his tactics at 11-11, Sharath served short at Joo’s backhand and a quick topspin straight to his forehand fetched him the 3rd match point. Joo, who clearly looked restless and disturbed, gave up the match by missing his forehand attack from backhand corner and giving Sharath the biggest win of his career so far.

Clearly it was one of the biggest and happiest days of his life.  One Friday- the 13th he will always cherish.

After defeating Joo SaeHyuk

Quiet interesting to note here is the fact that the TTFI had denied to send Sharath’s entry for this tournament in the first place. Later he qualified for the tournament on the basis of his World Rank. Failing to take part in the National Championship held at Pondicherry in this year, Sharath was overlooked by the TTFI for this prestigious tournament. Sharath had also expressed his disappointment in one of the leading National dailies explaining that he had actually planned to play the Senior Nationals but unfortunately one of the players in his team got injured and thus the club was totally dependent on him to play the quarterfinals of the European Champions League.Normally the club understands his commitments with the National federation for domestic and international tournaments which are important to him and the country but this time due to this unique reason, he had to miss the National Championship to play for the club.

The TTFI had also expressed their displeasure at Sharath not playing the National Championships and threatened to take strict action against players who play in club leagues abroad and fail to take part in the National tournaments.

There is no greater joy than winning for your own country. Sometimes we just fail to understand that.

Sharath Kamal is someone who has brought Indian Table Tennis to new heights. His achievements are unprecedented in Indian table tennis history, and I feel that the decisions he has made should be well respected. Time and again he has proved his mettle only by performing better than before. The last thing to do would be to discourage him by unnecessary controversies and stories blown out of proportion.

He is an asset to the Nation. He does his job well, and we must respond back in the same way. His contributions to the game deservedly command accolades, and he will be well remembered for them in the annals of Indian table tennis history.

His facebook page was filled with congratulatory messages from all over India. It only speaks of the reach and influence of a man whose achievements say everything.

This is Sharath Kamal. And the man is unstoppable. And a biased me is only waiting for him to go to Rio.

35th National Games- My most memorable tournament!

As I watched the closing ceremony of the 35th National Games in Kerala on DD Sports from home, nostalgia hit my head. Just a week back I was there, in Kochi, where the Table Tennis event was held from 1-5th Feb, where I had the bestest time of my life, and now the games have ended already. Labelled as the “Mini Olympics of India”, the National Games is one such event which brings the best of the sportspersons in the country at one place to witness the best of what India has to offer. The games were very well organised, especially the Games Village at Thiruvananthapuram. Missing out on the last two editions of the National Games, I am glad that I was a part of these games, winning a Gold Medal in Women Doubles and a Bronze in the Women Teams. It was one of the most memorable tournaments for me.

Here’s why

Delhi has always been a pro-academic state; parents don’t encourage their kids to be a professional sportsperson, apart from only golf and tennis. Amidst that, in a Bengal-Tamil Nadu-Maharashtra dominated game of table tennis, nobody ever expected ‘Delhi’ to ever win a ‘Gold Medal’ at the National Games- a tournament where all the players give in their best, purely because of the money incentive. 2, 3 and 5 (lakh) were the only numbers ringing bells in each ones head. There were also a few who just wanted to show that they are still the best, which they did, towards the end. But for me, the motive was just to enjoy table tennis. Not a very usual mindset I for me, because until now, in my entire career I have been playing under the pressure of my own expectations- from self. Also I paired up with Manika Batra for the first time in the women doubles (which I whole heartedly enjoy) so I was only there to have some fun and give my best. And boom, strike GOLD! Winners in the Women Doubles! Indeed, it’s true, that when you go out there on the court to just give in your best and enjoy and just enjoy, think nothing else but the strategies of the game, you do well. Ask yourself, when was the last time you played with a free mind, you ll find yourself doing brilliant on the court. That’s what I exactly did.

I thank god for giving this to me.

Winners in the Women Doubles.

And there are some more memories from the National Games which I would cherish all my life.

Just two days before I was scheduled to leave I got a call from Dr.Sudarshan Pathak from Delhi Olympic Association – “Neha we have chosen you to be the flag bearer for Delhi in the opening ceremony”. I danced. Literally. I danced. As my mother wondered what was wrong with me, I continued to dance.  As I marched in the Greenfield Stadium, Thiruvananthapuram, carrying the flag for Delhi, with the entire contingent following me, my heart danced. Yes, I was on cloud nine, because I did feel on top of—uumm—Delhi!  Kejriwal-like feeling. Maybe. Wondering how Mr.Rathod, or Mr.Bindra or Mr.Sushil Kumar must have felt when they carried India’s flag at the Olympics and the CWG.

A happy moment!

And then I met one of the most handsome men in Indian Politics – Mr.Shashi Tharoor. Having told him that I am a Stephanian and an Olympian, he sounded more excited than me! The flattering voice and the ever charming smile left me mesmerized. Next day I found him tweeting the picture we took the previous night.

 And then again I danced. During the entire tournament we exchanged a series of tweets, of him wishing me good luck and me updating my results. Mr.Tharoor did prove to be lucky, here’s what he tweeted before the finals of the women doubles:

Apart from this, what I loved the most during the games was the team spirit Delhi displayed. I cannot compare it with that of team Gujarat and Tamil Nadu, but a huge hug to my entire team for the wonderful support we gave to each other throughout the tournament. It’s beautiful to see such togetherness in an individual sport of table tennis. And teams and doubles have always been my favourite even more than singles. We managed a Bronze medal in the teams, which itself gave the entire team a huge moral boost!

Happy with the Bronze- Team Delhi!

I wish table tennis was in Thiruvananthapuram, where the games village was, Table Tennis players missed that fun!

But otherwise the 35th National Games 2015 in Kerala will always be very close to my heart!

For some it was money, for some a point to prove, but for me, it was pure happiness and fun and quality Table Tennis all 5 days which I already miss!

Happy Valentine's Day

We first met at high school. It was definitely not love at first sight. In a casual chat one fine day at the start of the new session, we felt we shared similar views, and somehow we knew that we could be friends. We were in the same class, same section. We would sit together during classes, study, take notes, discuss politics, sports, cinema and life. We would share our Tiffin boxes with each others during the break, not bothering about the rest of the students in our class. I was a bit irregular at attending school, due to my table tennis commitments. But we made sure it didn’t hamper our relationship with each other. By the time school ended, we knew that this is one relationship we would like to continue further. At the farewell, when everyone exchanged hugs and final glances, not knowing when they would see those people next, we were quiet sure that we would be friends even after school, no matter what.

We eventually landed up in different colleges, but with time our friendship only strengthened further. My travelling increased, but I guess the distance bought us closer. I don’t know, really, when we fell in love with each other. The chemistry we shared was envied by others and we loved flaunting each other to the entire world. I guess by the time we graduated from college, we knew we were in love. Deep down in our hearts, we knew that this is one relationship we want to have until the rest of our lives.

Our parents were quiet happy with the bond we share, they respect it a lot. I am glad that meeting each other over the weekends and endless talking over the phone has never been a problem at our place.

It’s a perfect relationship. We are with each other in good and bad times. We are quite honest, and there is never a dull moment when we are together. Above all, our love is pure, without any expectations. We never judge each other, rather we give out our true opinion. We highly respect each other in our individual decisions and in the choices we make in our respective lives.

It’s been a decade now since we first met, we are not married yet.

We now live in different cities.

Its valentine’s day today and we are not together, but the spirit of love and friendship is very much alive.

Its one of those days when I hate being alone, I wish there was someone who would love me, make me feel like a princess. I see young couples on the streets, walking hand in hand, with red roses, box of chocolates, and love and passion in their eyes. These days, even the older ones don’t hesitate. It’s beautiful when love is in the air.

But who needs a guy, when you have girl friends like them: Nishtha and Shruti. Yes, they are the ones whom I first met at high school. With whom I share the deepest of my secrets and some of the happiest moments in life until now. They are my strength. My soulmates. My soulsisters. My love.

Men come, and leave, but girlfriends stay. They are my Valentine, every single day.

Candace Bushnell said rightly in Sex and the City- Maybe are girlfriends are our soulmates, and guys are just people to have fun with.

RISE OF THE LITTLE GOLDEN GIRL

They say, in sport, you get what you work for. You don’t get only by wishing, but by working your ass off.  Little did I know that this proverb would truly imitate Mouma Das’s recent win at the National Championship in Pondicherry.

Let me take you back to September/ October 2014 in Patiala where we were training together as the national team for the Asian Games under Peter Engel, the training that literally transformed the player- Mouma Das. Despite knowing that she didn't make it to the team for Asian Games and already having been ignored for Commonwealth Games 2014, Mouma worked harder than any of us who made it in the team. She clearly lacked the required fitness, which is also not her forte, but worked hard to improve on that aspect, beating herself every single day. Guided by Peter on her technique, she followed his advice as if it was the supreme for her survival. She never missed even a single session, and played her heart out every single time she stepped in the court, giving equal importance to each session regardless of how her mind and body felt like. There were days of agony, restlessness and doubt but she held her head high, with belief in her heart which kept her going.  Little did I know that she will be the woman to watch for this domestic season. There she was, Mouma Das, the current national champion in making.

Continuing the hard work back home, Mouma was constantly in touch with Peter who currently lives in Germany. Peter would give her exercises through YouTube videos and Mouma would follow it religiously. She changed the way she approached her training. Peter would give her sequences and strokes and monitor her progress through videos. Following a more disciplined approach, Mouma worked 7 hours a day 6 times a week.

Mouma working with Peter in Patiala

Winning the Central Zone National Ranking TT Championship, finalists in North Zone and standing on top of the ranking charts, she definitely announced her arrival.

 Next I met her at Delhi, for the inter PSPB meet, just before Nationals. As I resumed my warm up with her on the very first day, I noticed a different Mouma Das- Toned body, quick reflexes, better technique, faster legs and more importantly -confidence added on to her single minded focus.

I clearly understood that she was ready for the battle.

They told her that it was the end. They ignored her for the major championships -the CWG and the Asians, married women can’t do it, she has aged, they questioned her fitness.

Standing 5 feet tall, the petite Mouma shut the critics by smashing out each of those fit-confident-technically sound-young-talented-brainy girls who were expected to win.

EVERYONE...!!!!

NATIONAL CHAMPION in Pondicherry

The very humble Mouma Das, who was awarded the prestigious Arjuna Award in 2013, credits her success to coaches Peter Engel and Avijit Roy Choudhary. Her pillar of strength is her husband, Mr.Kanchan Chakarborty who as encouraged her to work for something she didn’t even dream of. Defeating the popular approach to marriage where the woman is engrossed in domestic work, Kanchan made sure Mouma worked for long hours on the table, honing her skills. And he happily pursues his passion of photography while travelling with her. Clicking his own wife training! He can’t get luckier, can he?

Sharing the room with Mouma during the training camps, gave me an opportunity to know more about her as a person. She’s clearly a cleanliness freak. She would bathe 4 times a day and would make sure there is not a pinch of dust anywhere in the room. Her family is her world, well protected and happy. A very simple woman, Mouma Das is also very caring for those around her. She knows her strengths and weaknesses, is grounded and unlike other competitors, she encourages you to work hard.

DIFFERENT SHADES OF MOUMA

For records, Mouma has competed in 20 Senior National Table Tennis Championships from 1995 to 2014. Out of those, she has reached finals in 10, winning 5 and loosing 5. Before her 5^th title last week at Pondicherry, she last won the finals in 2006 at Ajmer. She undoubtedly, personifies perseverance.

Commonwealth Games

Her new journey has just begun. A new Mouma Das eyes the international arena. Her traumatizing flat kills give a scare to even the best of the Chinese. But, will she be able to convert her sensational form into some good wins? That’s the burden she currently carries on her shoulders.

An elated Mouma states her next goals:

1. To convert her Silver medal in 2013 Commonwealth Championships to Gold in 2015 Commonwealth Championships

2. The 2015 World Table Tennis Championships; by participating in this, she will become the only Indian table tennis player (both male and female) to participate in 14 World Championships.

3. Currently holds 13 Commonwealth medals; in the 2015 Commonwealth Championships aims to beat Indu Puri’s record of 14 Commonwealth medals.

Clearly, Mouma is back to training, keeping in mind the above stated goals.

THE KILLER FOREHAND..!

And this is just the beginning; Mouma has a long way to go if she keeps her fitness high.

The Little Golden Girl from Bengal has risen again. BEWARE..!!!

Amalraj's date with the legend!

A casual chat with Anthony Amalraj last week:

Me: Hi, how are u? All good in Poland?

AA: Neha, I am so happy today.

Me: Wow, what’s the reason? Please share...

AA: I beat Persson.

Me: Wait, you mean you beat Jorgen Persson, one of the legends of table tennis?

AA: Yes, exactly him :-)

I couldn't help but write this!

Jorgen Persson has competed in 7 Olympic Games. He is 5 times world champion for team Sweden, twice World Cup winner, World champion in singles, European champion in singles, team and doubles. In short, he is a legend. A living legend. Although, he has retired from competitive sport, but continues to play in the Polish league for the club ZKS Palmiarnia Zielona Gora.

Amalraj beat Jorgen Person in a thrilling 3-1 victory, in the Polish league where he plays for the club AZS Politechnika.

So after the news of Sharath Kamal beating Kreanga Kalinikos this December, the news of Amalraj beating Persson, the legend, has bought smiles on the faces of a lot of TT lovers all over India.

So what would one do after beating a legendary table tennis player like Persson? Here’s what Amalraj did (his signature move after winning) - jumping high in excitement, as high as he can, refusing to stop until his satisfaction.  Have a look...

Beating Jorgen Persson was surely a dream come true for Amalraj, who as a kid, used equipment named after Persson, and watched a lot of his matches on TV and learnt from his game.

Amalraj and Persson sharing a light moment after the match

 2014 has been an amazing year for Amal, who currently lives and trains in Rzeszow, Poland.

He won the Silver Medal in the Commonwealth Games in Men’s doubles along with Sharath Kamal in August this year. The very humble Amalraj attributes his success to coach Peter Engel. Peter was sure that the combination of Kamal and Amal would be a deadly one, a partnership that would surely win us a medal in the CWG. The duo delivered as expected, making the entire nation so proud!

Amalraj's signature jump after winning the Men's doubles semi finals

 at the CWG, Glasgow

We spoke at lengths about how Chennai welcomed him after his victory in Glasgow. “I was on cloud nine. For 4 days I barely slept. I haven’t met so many people in my life till now than I met in those 4 days. I was a hero suddenly. The response from the TN government was laudable. Our efforts have been recognized, this is great for our sport”

"Oh, I also go to meet Sachin Tendulkar!!!"

 Amal has been playing incredibly good in the Polish league which has become stronger this season because of addition of many top world ranked players like Hok Sang Yun(Korea), Cheng Wiexing( Austria), Yoshida Kaii( Japan), Wang Chung Tin( Hong Kong) and many more.

He has won 8 out of 14 matches till now, completing a successful first half of the league.

Amalraj is all excited to finally play the National Championship in Pondicherry in January 2015.

“I have missed the entire domestic season. It’s a great feeling to play in India, because the kind of love and support I get there is overwhelming”.

We all are excited as well; National Championship is the only tournament where we see the best of all Indians competing among each other.

Can he win the nationals? The clock is ticking, 3 more weeks to go!

Good luck, Anthony Amalraj.

MALALA YOUSAFZAI: MY HERO!

 Dear Malala,

Your speech in Oslo just shook me; it gave me goose bumps on my skin, tears in my eyes and enormous respect for you in my heart.

When the news of you getting the Nobel Peace Prize was out in October this year, I did a Google search on you. Call me ignorant, but before that I just knew that you are the girl who was shot in the head by the Taliban.

And then today I watched the entire award ceremony.

 Dear Malala, you are an inspiration to all women and men- your struggles depict the amount of strength a fearless and a courageous woman could possess. Your story proves the saying, that the pen is mightier than the sword.

 Malala, your commitment and dedication towards achieving your goal, inspires me. The passion in your voice, the sparkle in your eye, strengthens me. Your struggles wake me up from by ignorant slumber and your steps guide me to take the road less travelled. 

At an age when girls are concerned about pimples, fashion and boyfriends and are still discovering themselves, you, at that age, have stood up for the basic right of the girl child, the right to education, all over the world. Malala, I salute you. 

As I watched you receiving the Nobel Prize along with Kailash Satyarthi, two of you who are fighting for the cause of child education and child labour, I was reminded of the child of the lady who works as a domestic help at my place. I felt deeply ashamed, she does not go to school, and occasionally replaces her mother at work in an event of an emergency. Remorseful thought.

And then Malala, you inspire me further. 

You inspire me to stand up and speak up for my rights, to go out there and fight, that age is not a barrier and doing what you feel is right, is never a crime. 

Your story is a slap on the faces of all those who go to school, but never study, those who complain of studies being a burden, to all those who do not respect their teachers and to those who have access to internet, but use it only to ”have fun”.

Your friend’s dream of becoming a doctor was crushed into pieces by the hooligans who forced her into marriage at the age of 12, and motherhood at the age of 14. But Malala, I hope that your dream, of becoming the Prime Minister of Pakistan, turns into reality one day.

I have ordered my copy of I am Malala.

You are my strength.

More power to you.

A woman.