‘Invest in talent right now for a medal in 2020’

I was disappointed by the results of the Indian quartet in table tennis. Both Soumyajit Ghosh and Sharath Kamal lost to lower ranked players. Their opponents played exceptionally well. But, upon minute analysis, both the players were not at their best. Sharath seemed confused throughout the game and Soumyajit was too slow on his feet as compared to his opponent. Given the good performances of both the paddlers in the recent past, I had expected them to much better. A performance worth mentioning was from Manika Batra who put up a good fight and take a set off her Polish opponent. 

However, it only delayed the inevitable. Mouma Das’ performance too was disappointing. Overall, Indian table tennis hit a new milestone when four athletes qualified for the first time for the Olympics. I see this as a ray of hope. It would have been silly to expect a medal in Rio. I question the timing of the TOP scheme of the government. To win a medal at the Olympics, you need to work years together. The government was too late in including the players in the TOP scheme. To win a medal at 2020 games, the way forward is to identify the talent now, and invest in them. 

There is little use in providing money to train just two or three months before the Games. It’s a long term process and the Centre must understand it. The total number of athletes competing, has shot up. But we need to strategise the timing of the funding provided by the government so that players can make a difference in their game. For first time Olympians, the pressure to perform can take precedence over the performance. Athletes need to train mentally on how to deal with this pressure and stay at the top of their psychological health during the Olympic Games.