The clink of stainless steel tumblers pouring the most aromatic filter coffee following a meal of cloud-like idlis taken fresh out of whispering steamers served on traditional banana leaves, while sitting next to the sea with waves lapping up the shore—sounds which instantly transport you to Chennai. But on March 25, the southern coastal city awoke to a different melody: the crisp pop of table tennis balls being hit with cunningly deceptive spin and full-throttle power, providing the most satisfying ASMR to any sports enthusiast. The third edition of India’s own WTT Star Contender Table Tennis tournament headed to Chennai this year, after two successful runs in Goa, and for good reason. The Tamil Nadu capital has long been a cradle to global sporting excellence, giving India some of the finest sporting heroes like the Amritraj brothers. But not just tennis; Chennai is home to the poster boy of Indian table tennis and symbol of longevity in the youth-focused field of sports, Padma Shri Achanta Sharath Kamal. The legend, in his forties, decided to call time on his glittering, trophy-laden career by announcing his last competitive outing, the Indian leg of the WTT Star Contender. He fell agonisingly short of adding another slice of history to his career by becoming the first Indian finalist, losing a nail-biting encounter in the men’s doubles semifinals. And so, India’s search for the podium finish at the WTT Star Contender continues…
While I could not wait to watch Sharath Kamal wield his weapon in his swansong, my trip turned out to be more than just about the matches. It was a journey laced with serendipitous encounters with stalwarts of the game. As I made my way from Chennai to Kanpur, I had a short layover in Delhi. Usually, I loathe layovers (I am all for direct flights), but fate had other plans. I met the Paralympian Sonalben Patel at the airport, who was returning after winning the Khelo India Para Games in Delhi. If this was not already inspiring enough, when I reached Chennai, I had an absolute fan-girl moment meeting Olympian Neha Aggarwal Sharma, and was instantly overcome with nostalgia. Back in primary school, I was anything but sporty. I would come last on sports days and shy away from the games classes. But it all changed one fine August evening in 2008. The first-ever sports match I watched was Neha Aggarwal’s table tennis at the Beijing Olympics. That was the spark, the trigger point for me. From then on, there has been no looking back, as I have been a national-level footballer, a district-level table tennis player, a college-level tennis and squash player, and recently completed my first half-marathon. I owe my fitness, and especially my table tennis interest, to her. This is the magic of the Olympics. While they say never meet your idol, my short and sweet moment with Neha Aggarwal proved otherwise. It was a crash course in humility. She truly embodied Rudyard Kipling’s words: “…If you can meet with triumph and disaster and treat those two imposters just the same; if you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue or walk with kings nor lose the common touch; yours is the earth and everything in it…”
Coming back to the matches, the Indian contingent had a decent outing. While the focus was on crowd-favourite Sharath Kamal, Snehit Suravajjula (also Kamal’s doubles partner) shone brightly by coming from behind to get the better of higher-ranked Yukiya Uda in the round of 32, before halting Kamal himself. Suravajjula finally went down in the quarterfinals, but not without putting up a solid fight, and looks like a promising future prospect. For me, the real charm lies not just in the matches (which, truth be told, often look more cinematic on TV with the slow-motion replays and expert commentary), but in watching the pros practise before their matches. The intense sessions are an exercise of relentless repetition, a pursuit of nailing the basics perfectly, to the extent that they hardly miss a ball. They then tactfully execute the skills learnt in the matches, do not fear taking risks, and trust their hard work. These, my friend, are valuable life lessons under the garb of sports entertainment.
The fan engagement was stepped up in this edition, with the implementation of meet-and-greet sessions. The organisers were even distributing wooden blades for getting autographs, although, sadly, I could not get one for myself :(. Manika Batra and Sharath Kamal attended to every fan present with warmth and made their day by obliging with autographs, photographs and answers to their starstruck, wide-eyed questions. There was a mini table for friends to have fun, and free delectable delicacies were available in the VIP section, but ironically, the service lacked the speed associated with table tennis! As I walked away from the venue with memories for a lifetime, I had moist eyes and a sliver of remorse for not making it to the professional circuit. In these reflections of mine, I find my way of connecting to the gritty world of sports, along with pushing myself as a college athlete.
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