EXCLUSIVE | Aiming to bring out my best at Asian Games: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is a pioneering name in Indian table tennis having made significant contributions to the sport both in terms of rankings and medals His elation with the sportrsquos growing recognition in the country and aspiration for its glowing future stand highlighted in his performance and communicationIt is this dedication for table tennis that led him to become the first Indian paddler to make space for himself in Top 25 world rankings in 2019 and also steered his career towards Olympics two years agoOn the sidelines of Ultimate Table Tennis UTT League and ahead of the crucial Asian Games and 2024 Paris Olympics middaycom caught up with the ace paddler on his mindset towards the game and preparations for upcoming competitionslsquoMaking great strides on world stagersquoThis is an exciting time for table tennis in India a sentiment backed by SathiyanNot only are Indian players exerting dominance internationally but the sport is also leaving its traces in the hearts and minds of people at homeStressing on the opportunities available to young players and the enthusiasm they bring to the game Sathiyan stated ldquowersquore making great strides on the world stagerdquoldquoI think a lot of things have changed For example the UTT League making India a table tennis destination It was never before that so many top players would come to India for a big tournament So the opportunities have increased a lot The exposure we get now to play abroad to train abroad is really coolrdquo he said reminiscing the changes in the game from when he started playing more than a decade agoldquoTherersquos been a great structure as well There is a clear pathway on how to get to the top starting from domestic circuit leagues WTTldquoThe juniors are more aware and they are more motivated not just to represent India but to go on and win medals for the countryrdquo he addedlsquoMindset of fighting and giving our all is same across formatsrsquoWith a plethora of opportunities comes the scope to play the game in different ways across different formats Indian paddlers are juggling between international games and franchise leagues like UTTWhen asked whether the mindset differs when he is playing in league games and representing the country internationally in events like Asian Games or Olympics Sathiyan was quick to say ldquoThe mindset of fighting and giving it our all is the same That doesnrsquot differ much Sport takes precedence everywhererdquoldquoThe atmosphere the environment in which you play is certainly a little bit different You need to adapt to that kind of formatldquoAsian Games is a longer game You have round after round you play for a longer time you have matches every day It is multievent Itrsquos always a different feeling You meet others you see a lot of matches you learn a lot When you see 10000 athletes under one roof itrsquos always very special So I think inside the table itrsquos all the same but the factors outside and the kind of aura it creates in a bigger event like this is different The pressure when you play for India is immense certainly and that is one thing that got better to me with experiencerdquo the Commonwealth Games medallist expressedlsquoExperience teaches you how to handle pressurersquoSathiyan is in the middle of a busy schedule coming out of the WTT Contender competing in UTT and preparing for Asian Games The mental and physical work that goes into backtoback tournaments and training is not always easy on sportspersonsldquoAt this level it is more mental I feel the mental energy is very exhausting Table tennis is a sport where you play so many tournaments Wersquove had no break right now But thatrsquos what the sport demands So we take small breaks refresh ourselves and then come back and get in shape It is important to also plan it better You have to plan your fitness schedule in a way that you maintain your fitness for important events If you push too much every time you have a chance of getting injuredrdquo he saidHis experience in the game took centre stage as he reiterated that dealing with the mental and physical pressure of the sport is something you learn with timeldquoThatrsquos what experience teaches youhellip how to manage your family life how to prepare yourself to be mentally and physically ready Yes it is taxing but once you start enjoying this process enjoying this pressure it becomes manageable I really love being in that pressure love butterflies in the stomachrdquo he said excitedlylsquoAim is to bring out my best at Asian GamesrsquoWhen one represents their country in an international event the reward often overpowers the pressure Indian players are now turning towards one such event ndash Asian Games 2023 The table tennis squad has been announced and Sathiyan playing in mens team menrsquos singles menrsquos doubles and mixed doubles events is one of the key prospects to bring the medal homeldquoI am aiming to bring out my best game I feel one of the best zones I was in was in 2018 Asian Games Thatrsquos when I saw a different me playing against Japan in the quarterfinals I would like to go one step beyond and play even betterrdquo he assertedldquoFirst priority would be to take it one match at a time We have a plan in place to get some needed match practice here to play more aggressive table tennis Wersquove come a long way and I think we have a great chance in the menrsquos team and mixed doublesrdquolsquoWe complement each otherrsquos gamersquoIndias Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra R pose during the medal ceremony for the mixed doubles bronze medal table tennis at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games Pic AFPThe mixed doubles pair of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran and Manika Batra has wreaked havoc on opponents in multiple tournaments They charted an exemplary course to the Top 5 of world rankings last yearSathiyan was all praises for his partner as he said ldquoShe is fantastic I really like the gutsy play from her She goes for the shot We really complement each otherrsquos game We have a great sense of reading the opponentrsquos game and placements To have another player of that nature who is helping you out being smart on the table is greatrdquoldquoWe never expected that we will get in the Top 5 or Top 10 so quickly So it has also been surprising for us but the way we started beating top players we started believing that we can take on even the best in the world It has been fantastic and we hope we can continue this form in the Asian Games which is a pit stop But the goal would be Paris 2024rdquoAlso Read TT World Rankings Manika Batra and Gnanasekaran Sathiyan becomes first Indian mixed doubles pair to enter top 5Sathiyanrsquos menrsquos doubles pairing with veteran Achanta Sharath Kamal has also had its success with several medals including a silver at CWG 2022ldquoHe is still anna for us He never gives you the feeling that he is 11 years older to us He is more like a friend He gives you the freedom that you can always go and say if something is not working out or something is doing well or you need some changes Hersquos always there as a friend listening to you and adapting to whatever is neededrdquo Sathiyan spoke glowingly about SharathldquoTo have such a senior in the team also takes off the pressure from us Itrsquos really helpful And I hope he just keeps going and together we can win a lot of medals and take Indian table tennis to the next levelrdquo he addedlsquoTokyo Olympics experience will help in Paris OlympicsrsquoSathiyan achieved a career milestone when he qualified for Tokyo Olympics 2020 Unfortunately he could not win a medal but the experience of competing in a highstakes event like that proved to be helpful for himldquoThat Tokyo Olympics experience actually even helped me perform well in the Commonwealth Games where there was a lot of pressure and I went on to win the singles medal that I was really looking for For Tokyo Olympics I felt that even though I was prepared for it but still only when you experience ithellip I think I have never felt that kind of pressure that kind of anxiety before the match Still I think I played quite well but that slight edge would have been betterrdquo he said reflecting on his maiden Olympics experienceAs he prepares to achieve his next big goal ndash an Olympic medal in Paris Gamesndash the learnings of Tokyo will come handyldquoThat gave me a lot of experience on how to stay calm during such important events or how to prepare yourself from months before It is not just one or two days before Olympics You need to do that few months or even an year prior so that you can plan accordingly I feel I can plan much better heading into the Paris Olympics That fear and aura will no longer be with me When you really know what it is how it is then you are prepared for whatrsquos coming for yourdquoAlso Read G Sathiyan feels mixed doubles is Indias best bet for a medal at Paris OlympicsWith confidence in his game and that of his teammates Sathiyan Gnanasekaran expressed hope for a strong performance in upcoming competitionsHe concluded by saying ldquoI enjoy playing table tennis every day Breaking into Top 10 winning an Olympic medal and seeing India among Top 5 table tennis nations of the world are all possible directions of mindset for me right now As long as I am enjoying the sport that is the keyrdquoAs the Indian table tennis contingent prepares to take the game to greater heights Sathiyan is ready to be a key contributor to its success