Team India coach Brett Clarke of Australia said Indian table tennis needs to have its own training centre like the ones in Germany, Portugal and Denmark if it hopes to be one of the top countries in the sport.
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“It can be anywhere in India. Maybe in Delhi or somewhere where all the top players, especially the youth can train. It is a must. Then players don’t have to spend lots of money to train abroad. We can also bring in players from other countries like China and South Korea with help from the [Indian] Government,” said the 47-year-old while speaking to Sports Authority of India coaches and players via teleconference on Wednesday on the topic of ‘Advancing Indian Table Tennis through Coach Education’.
Brett said Hurricane rubbers — from China — can be used by Indian players on their paddles to get better results, even if it is slightly different from the one used by top Chinese paddlers. The Olympian said Hurricane rubbers are ideal for strong forehand play. “It (Hurricane rubber) is harder, has a sticky surface and is best for service, receive and forehand. I would like to see 20 % of Indians use this rubber,” he said.
According to Clarke, the impact of Chinese rubbers can be witnessed in European players using them now. “[Top German players] Timo Boll and Dimitrij Ovtcharov are using a copy of Hurricane rubbers on their forehand and Japan’s [16-year-old whiz kid] Harimoto Tomakazu might have to use it,” said the former coach of the Australian men’s team.
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