Beyond just talent: Inside Abhinandh’s mindset shift

CHENNAI: Ever since he picked up a paddle at the age of five, PB Abhinandh has known little else. His days and nights revolved around the sport, and even when he steps away from the table, his mind rarely does, constantly searching for ways to improve his game.

At 18, that singular obsession in life is translating into results, as the Tamil Nadu paddler has breezed past some heavy competition in this year’s Ultimate Table Tennis Championship, including his former teammate Lilian Bardet.

Despite winning the UTT with U Mumba in 2025, the biggest transformation for the teenager isn’t physical so much as mental.

“I don’t care if I win or lose; I just want to give my best, do 100%. That’s the only way upward,” Abhinandh told DT Next.

For someone who has only just turned 18, it is a remarkably mature outlook — one that has fuelled his transformation since last year's tournament.

“If I’m losing a match, the main thing that comes to my mind is where I will have to improve. I don’t take it as a failure, I take it as an opportunity to learn. When I do it that way, I’m able to work on my mistakes more. I will also know my strengths then,” the 18-year-old said.

“And if I’m winning, I just keep my head down and move forward. You are only as good as you are today. It was a tough thing at the start, but I’m learning the art, and still have a lot to learn.”

One small yet effective shift has brought about an effervescent change, as the youngster started the tournament for Goa Challengers with five wins on the trot before two losses, against Omar Assar and Manav Thakkar. It isn’t a one-size fits all change either, as Abhinandh reveals.

“Last year, I started well but then I couldn’t convert my matches – in the semis and final. We ended up winning, though. This year, I’m trying to rebuild my own game, step-by-step. It has gone well this year; I’ve stayed unbeaten, with 3-0, 2-1, 2-1 and 3-0. My skill level has improved. But mainly, it is the shift in mentality. I’m more stable now,” he adds.

For the 18-year-old, the opportunity to test himself against some of the biggest names in the sport is in itself, a huge blessing and honour.

“You are playing in front of a packed crowd and on television, drawing more eyeballs. Playing against foreigners helps in shaping a young player’s career. I’m getting to know where I’m good at, and where I’m bad at. It is a 20-day league, so you get to interact with the teammates, like this year it was Bernie [Bernadette] and Alvaro [Robles],” the youngster said.

“And to everyone around me in the Goa side, including team coaches and teammates. It has been a great season thus far, and I hope it stays the same,” he added.

Away from the court, Abhinandh is like any other teenager in the country, spending his free time watching anime. His favourite is Baki Hanma, a Japanese Manga series where a teenager trains and tests his fighting skills against different opponents. Not too different to what Abhinandh is doing on the court.

“Yeah, TT is life, everything revolves around it. I started playing the sport when I was five, and that’s the only thing I have ever known. I keep thinking about my game, ‘Oh, if I do this, will it improve my game?’ When I’m outside the court, I keep thinking about the sport and when I’m on the board, I just keep working on it to win.”

So, out of all sports, why Table Tennis in the first place? Turns out, the reason was far more ordinary than one could imagine.

“Dad actually wanted me to play one sport, and he loved cricket. But he also wanted me to pick up an individual sport, and that’s how table tennis came by,” the youngster chuckles.

Neither the academy nor his coach, Subin Kumar, have changed since then, as it has now become his second home, having spent close to 13 years of his life at the place, practising and honing his skills.

“Chennai Achievers Professional Table Tennis Academy was very close to home. My dad saw all my seniors in the newspaper after their wins, so he kept pushing me. I loved it from the first look, and as I kept playing, the interest increased.”

The 18-year-old has always idolised 29-year-old Fan Zhendong, the reigning Olympic gold medalist, regarded as one of the best in the sport for his explosive forehand and mental toughness. But at the same time, he follows 23-year-old Tomokazu Harimoto closely as a benchmark to improve his game.

“Of course, my main idol is Fan Zhendong. “

“But what I would take from Tomokazu Harimoto is his mentality when he was 14 years old and he started to beat Ma Long or World No. 1 and Zhang Jike. No one has done that thing when they were this young. He’s just five years older than me, and he’s achieved it all. So, that comparison kind of drives me.”

In Abhinandh’s dictionary, the word ‘hunger’ comes before ‘content’, as the 18-year-old is now pushing himself hard to be within the top three of World Youth Rankings with an eye on the gold medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. To get there, however, he knows he has to do ‘quite a lot’.

“If I keep the 2028 edition as a target, I will be working harder and harder. That’s my initial goal. But even if I don’t qualify for 2028, I will think about 2032, 36 and so on.”

“But the only goal of my life is to win a gold medal.”

For Abhinandh, the medals may come and go but the pursuit and the hunger will be on forever.