Sathiyan Exclusive: The Indian paddler poised for glory in Asian Table Tennis Championship

While on the court, you will most frequently see him exulting, much like a tennis player looking to rally a zestful crowd by his side and that best describes him. After all, it is rare for one to find players as eloquent as 26-year-old Sathiyan Gnanasekaran when he is engaged in high-octane duels. The Asian Table Tennis Championship kickstarts tomorrow with expectations stuck to a good blend of youth and experience in the Indian contingent. Sathiyan will be one among many to relish the prospect of India emerging as the dark horses of the tournament.

We are no stranger to the Chinese supremacy hovering over the world of badminton or table tennis, but one might as well shudder with subtle spells of ebullience at the sight of the Chinese fearing the wiry Chennai lad who has been pulling off shock wins over high-ranked combatants. The Asian Championship would be no different, with the Sathiyan spectacle promising to offer plenty to savour.

“It is, of course, a big season. We can’t really change too many things in the game. There are small additions. I’ve definitely worked on my serves, receives, and speed which was very important. Playing against Asian countries is almost the best in the world. And they are very good in terms of serves and receives. So, it’s very important to focus on those areas and also on the fast game which is my kind of game. I’ve worked on small areas, serves and receives, backhand, the first ball attack...these are the things I’ve worked in a short time when I was here. Because we anyway had a very tough season and the preparation in China was also quite big.”

“It was definitely not easy,” says Sathiyan about moving to a new mark. “I was ranked 420 in 2012, and I’ve crossed 400 places in the span of almost six years. What I should be working on...from footwork to more on technique to counter-attacking...so a lot of aspects in the game...from fitness to mental conditioning...I’ve covered almost all the boxes which were needed (for me) to stay in the game and I think the ranking took care of itself...when you are going in the right direction, the ranking will just be a result of it. Even now I’ve been pushing on a lot of new techniques that should be in place to be in the top ten and top twenty.”

He marched several steps ahead to reach unprecedented heights that he could little fathom some ten years back. A valiant Sathiyan did the unthinkable at the Commonwealth Games last year, where he lapped up a gold in style in the men’s team event, silver in men’s doubles, followed by bronze in mixed doubles. Besides, add the Asian Games bronze medal to his list of accomplishments, for it is bounty with significance - the first-ever Asiad medal for India in the table tennis ecosystem. His gameplay is almost always punctuated by calculated risks, as he makes it evident on the court. The sprightly youngster’s success stands a testament to his insatiable thirst to improve, barely bothering to succumb to pressure. He explains:

Pressure is a privilege for me. To have pressure means you are good. That is something you take in a positive way. I mean, there are Chinese players with World No.1 ranking, they are under pressure too, but are playing really good. Definitely, there are expectations in every tournament. It is necessary to have small butterflies and anxiety, a little of everything is needed to keep you going. Otherwise, it becomes dull and there is no fun in it. That is needed to keep pushing you to the next limit. I’ve been able to handle pressure really well because I’ve handled engineering and sports at the same time. (laughs) That itself was a lot of pressure. So, I love that kind of pressure. I play much better and deliver really well under pressure.

No longer is he a lower-rung unknown playing in the sidelines. As the Indian contingent does the spadework for the table tennis extravaganza, Sathiyan will certainly be keyed up to set newer trends in table tennis on the international circuit, which it for so long, has been vying for. Now there is dutiful business, and there is the respect of the big guns. All hail, Sathiyan!