Along with variations Sathiyan is also looking to add many “surprise elements” into his game.
Follow Us
Indian table tennis player Gnanasekaran Sathiyan is hopeful of putting on a good show at the Tokyo Olympic Games later this year. The 28-year-old paddler is working on different variations and is also looking to bring many “surprise elements” into his game. “We (coach S Raman and himself) are working on bringing more variation and pace to my game,” Sathiyan, who will be playing in his maiden Olympics, added.
“That is one thing I need to work and handle better on the slow and fast balls. We are also trying a lot of variations in the serve and the receiving and bring in more surprise elements there,” Sathiyan said at a media interaction facilitated by the Sports Authority of India.
Despite the lockdown, Sathiyan felt that his training with paddler Anirban Ghosh has been beneficial in keeping the momentum going. “It is always good to have an all-round player in Anirban Ghosh as a sparring partner. He can generate a lot of pace to the ball and has a lot of feeling,” he said.
“Anirban has been important as I don’t have to worry about my Olympic preparation. I played really well, sparring with him before the Nationals and the Olympic qualifiers and I went on to win my first-ever National title. I am going to keep that momentum going into the Olympics. We are going into the smallest of details and I think that will make the difference.”
Speaking about the COVID-19 pandemic, he said it brought along challenges for everyone. “We all have got used to this new kind of training with closed doors and with lots of experiments. The robot training is still on so to work on my speed, and I also work on my serves and a lot of specifics,” he elaborated.
Sathiyan revealed that he has also ordered the Absolute Double Advanced Table from Japanese table manufacturer San-Ei. “I am trying to get a table that will be used in Tokyo2020 and if things get better, it would definitely be one of the best and intense preparations that I would be making heading for the Olympics.”
“That is one of the tables that is never used in other competitions and it makes a huge difference as it’s as different as playing in grass and clay court (in tennis). So, it was very important that I get to practice for the Olympics on the table that would be used in the Olympics and it will help me get used to the conditions and perform better,” he said.
Sathiyan has been part of the Target Olympic Podium Scheme (TOPS) since December 2018 and has received nearly Rs. 49 lakhs in financial assistance under the scheme for foreign training, foreign competitions, domestic training, sparring partner and sports equipment and Out of Pocket Allowance.
