Express News Service
CHENNAI: It was a jubilant day for PB Abhinandh and M Ananya at the Fifth State Ranking Tournament organised by the Tamil Nadu State Table Tennis Association.
Abhinandh won the boy’s Under-15 and Under-19 crowns, while his younger sister Ananya won the girl’s Under-13 title.
Abhinandh, who is just 14 years old, has shown the ability to play and win in higher age groups.
“It feels great to win two titles at the TNTA State Ranking Tournament. I managed to play to my potential despite the hectic travel for tournaments. I had just landed a day before the State Ranking Tournament from Laos after playing the Junior Asia Cup. I barely had time to prepare as I had to travel to Thiruvannamalai for the tournament,” said Abhinandh from Bangkok where he is playing in the WTT Youth Contender tournament.
Winning titles
Coached by MB Subin Kumar at Chennai Achievers Professional Table Tennis Academy, Abhinandh has had a fruitful season. “I won triple titles — at South Asia, Junior and Cadet Table Tennis tournament; won the U-15 boys singles title at WTT Jordan, and also won the doubles title at the 5th State Ranking meet in U15 and U19 categories.
This has enabled me to become state No 1 both in U-15 and U-19 categories. I have been fairly consistent with my play and the exposure I gained at international meets has given me the confidence to do well in the sport,” he said.
It was his precision in playing dart that led Abhinandh to table tennis at the age of six. He won his first table tennis tournament in 2017 in the mini-cadet category at the Tamil Nadu First State Ranking Tournament. His best show so far has been the title he won at the WTT Youth Contender in Under-15 singles event in August 2022.
For the past two years, he has been focused on improving his game and fitness “I spent a lot of time with my younger sister working out and talking about the game. My sister Ananya is currently India No 2 in Under 13 and World no 26 as per ITTF rankings,” he added.
Of fitness & fair play
Playing in higher age groups and excelling is no mean feat as the game is all about power play, but Abhinandh calls himself “mentally strong”.
“I work hard on my fitness and skill sets and this helps me to play in higher age group tournaments and excel. I am inspired by my role model and the world’s No 1 Fan Zhendong. I also draw inspiration from how well Sharath Kamal plays for India and wins tournaments. I also admire Sathiyan for his exploits as both are from Tamil Nadu,” he said, adding that his parents’ support also play a role in his achievements.
To go up the ladder, one needs to stay fit and also get sponsorship to play in tournaments regularly abroad. Players at times also need travelling coaches for bigger events.
“I am keen on improving my game and, for exposure, I would like to play in more and more tournaments abroad. My fitness is also taken care of by my coach. My goal for the season is to finish the year at the top both in India and in WTT,” signed off Abhinandh.
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