Costantini back at helm as chief coach

Costantini takes charge as chief coach of the national team from October 1 but having arrived in New Delhi a couple of days ago, the foreign coach visited the venue of the ongoing National Ranking (Central Zone) championships to have a close look at the players. Max, as his fondly known and called by players, was with the Indian team from early 2009 till the end of the 2010 Commonwealth Games, guiding India to five medals including a men’s doubles gold and a silver in the women’s team event. Soon after leaving India, Max has had a long-term stint with a US club and guided some its players to glory. He was also the US team coach at Rio Olympics. The federation had roped in Peter Engel in 2013 but the German’s contract was not renewed at the end of the Asian 2014 Games. Since then, table tennis did not have a foreign coach. However, a conscientious decision was taken with support from the Sports Authority of India to bring back Max, who is known for his excellent rapport with the Indian players.

The 58-year-old has his agenda clear. “I have an onerous task of bringing back things on track. I have been entrusted with a big responsibility and I am hopeful I will live up to the federation’s expectations,” said Max soon after his arrival here. “I am expecting a brief from TTFI soon so that I can straightaway start working. The TTFI wanted me to visit this event here so that I can look for promising talents,” the coach added.