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Q: How do you feel after winning the MSSA Under-16 Boys TT title?.. Is this your first trophy?..
Answer: “It feels great to win the U-16 boys title. This is my last MSSA, it was special too. This is not my first trophy because I have been playing for eight years and I have won many trophies.” In this period of time, but I had my eye on the MSSA title for a long time, I was close to winning the Under-10 and Under-12 titles but could finally win the silver and bronze medals respectively, this is my last MSSA, a title And a gold medal feels special.
Question: How old are you and what school are you from?
Answer: “I am 15 years old and in 10th class in AVM, Juhu. The school is also very supportive. They have given me holidays to practice and get ready for tournaments. So they have been supportive too.”
Q: How was your preparation for the tournament?
Answer: “I was quite confident before the tournament because I had recently played CISCE Nationals where I stood third. And now I will represent CISCE in the SGFI National Games. So because of this form and performance, I am confident about myself. I was very confident…and I believed I could do well and did well.”
Q: Who is your coach and at what age did you start playing the sport?
Answer: “I am playing under Arjun Patra at JP Olympia Table Tennis Academy in Marol. I have been there for the last 4-5 years and I started playing at the age of eight and it was my mother who introduced me to table tennis. But she led me to tennis and she was the first person who got me into coaching and my interest developed and then I never looked back.”
Q: What are the strengths of your game and what areas do you feel you need to work on?
Answer: “Some of the strengths in my game are that I have developed an aggressive instinct in the game and I know my strokes well and it is a combination of skill and speed. Obviously, there is a lot of scope for improvement in different areas ” As I am getting the services. But as I keep playing and practicing, I hope I can overcome my weaknesses and move forward.”
Q: How was the competition in this tournament?
Answer: “The competition in this tournament was very tough. I was the second-ranked player and I was still very confident. I knew my opponents' game well and I could deal with them. Even I was in the finals. I had also played and defeated a 1st ranked player in IPL, I was familiar with him as he is my practice partner. I have recently defeated him in DSO, so I was quite confident about winning.
Q: Which tournaments are you going to participate in going forward?
Answer: “There are many tournaments coming up like SGFI Nationals which I am participating in. Even Pune State Championships, various district tournaments, so I have to keep practicing and work hard.”
Q: What are your future plans?..Plan to take TT professionally?..
Answer: “I am currently in 10th class in AVM, Juhu. So I have decided to take engineering in my 11th and 12th science stream. But TT will always be a part of my life, no matter what. Obviously, I am competitive I will play in tournaments and currently during my studies, I will study engineering with science as an option.”
Q: Tell me something about your family and their support..
Answer: “My parents and my sister have been very supportive of me in playing table tennis. They helped me in my studies whenever I missed them due to my tournaments or practice. Their support is something that has kept me going. “Helped me grow.” over the years and I'm really grateful for that and I'll make sure to make them proud.”
Q: Who do you look up to as inspiration in sports or especially table tennis?
Answer: “Overall sports, I also follow football and I think my idol is Messi. His humility and his love for the game is something I really like. But in table tennis, no doubt He is Sharath Kamal, the legend of Indian table tennis. He has been an inspiration to me throughout the years because of his longevity and the way he supports the game at the grassroots level is amazing.”
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