After qualifying for the Olym-pics at a tournament in Doha in March, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra had been itching to train together. They were in Chennai and Pune, respectively, and Covid kept them there. Eventually, with some doing, she went to Chennai to train with him, and then Kamal went to Pune. The duo also managed a three-day training stint at the national camp in Sonepat, Haryana, in June.
Manika, India’s highest-ranked women’s international (No 63), has been training with her coach, Sanmay Paranjape, and her Belarusian sparring partner, Kiril Barabanov, at the India Khelega academy in the heart of Pune.
“The pandemic has been really tough for everyone,” Manika, 25, told THE WEEK. “I was doing really well before that, but then things just stopped and left us with no tournaments. [But] I learnt work ethic during the lockdown. After the mixed doubles qualifying match in Doha got over, I went to the gym. When I returned to Pune, I began training without any break.”
Meanwhile, Sharath, the world No 32, has to focus not only on the mixed doubles, but also on the men’s singles competition.
Speaking to THE WEEK about his and Manika’s stunning win against world number five Sang-Su Lee and Jihee Jeon of South Korea in the Asian Olympic Qualification Tournament in Doha, Sharath said: “[It] was the most important performance for Indian table tennis. Winning [bronze] at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta was also big. [I could start thinking that] if we can win at the Asian Games, we can do so at the Olympics, too. If I have a fantastic run in Tokyo, I have a small chance of [winning a] medal. But now with mixed doubles, we are actually looking at it.”
This story is from the July 18, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 18, 2021 edition of THE WEEK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Ram temple not an issue in south
Much has been said this election season about the alleged north-south divide.
Haute and sweaty
In Mumbai, where I live and work, there is a severe heatwave going on. The highest temperature this month has been 40 degrees, sweltering and humid for the coastal city.
MOVE AWAY MARY!
In many parts of the world,unique names are becoming popular
CALL OF THE WILD
Tejas Thackeray, the younger son of former Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray, shares his passion for wildlife conservation and photography
CEPA and beyond
Bilateral trade between the UAE and India has grown almost 16 per cent year-on-year, touching $84.5 billion
Brash and raw
When I chanced upon Raj Narain, who humbled Indira Gandhi
Lone voice of dissent
“I am keen to invite Parakala [Prabhakar] to Mumbai… What do you think? Do you know him?” A friend asked. No, I don’t know the man. And no, it is not a good idea to invite him, unless you want to invite trouble, I replied.
Modi and the Muslim syndrome
I have long been intrigued by the prime minister’s desire to hug every passing sheikh and sultan and his contrasting contempt for the ordinary Indian Muslim.
Assam Rifles not trained to guard borders; need separate force for Manipur border
Imphal is blanketed in darkness. The sun has set a little too soon in the valley, but N. Biren Singh is yet to call it a day.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE SENTINELS
Manipur government wants the Assam Rifles replaced, but the Union home ministry is focused on upgrading infrastructure and connectivity before deciding who guards the state