For doubles we need specialised coaching, Sharath Kamal addresses absence of coach ahead of Olympics
UTT
Indian table tennis veteran Sharath Kamal has stated that the team is finding it difficult to prepare themselves for major tournaments and next year’s Olympics without focused training for a coach. India had appointed Dejan Papic as their main coach in March but he is yet to join the team.
Having been the Indian team coach for quite some years, Massimo Constantini resigned from his post last year due to some personal reasons. To replace him, the Table Tennis Federation of India had agreed terms with Canadian Dejan Papic and he was scheduled to begin his stint as head coach ahead of the Commonwealth Championships.
However, according to PTI reports, he is yet to sign the contract sent to him and join the team, even though the Championships have already concluded in Cuttack with India winning all the seven gold medals on offer. Veteran player Sharath Kamal believes that such success will be difficult to sustain without proper training.
“You see the results, it is just me, G Sathiyan and Manika is doing well. We are training on our own and taking care of our singles training but for doubles we need specialised coaching,” Sharath was reported saying by Scroll.in.
With the Tokyo Olympics set to begin in exactly a year from now, the team won’t have much time to adapt to the coach’s methods and drills.Â
“In next 11 months, he has to figure out everything. By the time he does, it will be December. Our preparation for singles is going on but mixed doubles is an issue,” added Kamal.
The Indian team is expected to qualify for the Olympics comfortable considering it is usually seeded in the top while 16 teams participate in the competition. As for other categories, in 2016, four Indians had qualified for the main draw.
“There is one tournament in January in Portugal through which we can qualify and for singles we have an Asian qualification in April. If it doesn’t happen then the world ranking will come into the picture. But we should qualify,” Kamal stated.
As for Padma Shri winner Sharath Kamal, he thinks that personally, he has a good chance of qualifying for the mega festival in Tokyo.
“I want to qualify during the qualification tournament. But if it doesn’t happen, I will have to play every tournament till June 2020 and from January to June there are 10 pro tours, apart from world qualification team, Asian qualification, world championship, Asia cup in six months. I have to stitch myself up for every tournament,” Kamal said of his chances.
The 37 year old had qualified for the Olympics in 2016 as well but failed to create much of an impact, exiting in the first round. With age catching up and a cramped schedule, the nine times national champion has said he is finding it hard to cope up with such a timeline.Â
“It is the ITTF schedule, so if I don’t play I will miss out of ranking points. We have been complaining about the qualification system. International body wants regular action, so nothing has happened. But it needs to re-looked,” he concluded.
