BENGALURU: Since late 2018, Indian table tennis has been devoid of a system, structure or a coach. As the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) looks to put the house in order at the Annual General Body meeting in Jammu next week, Sharath Kamal — India’s most decorated paddler — has initiated a pilot project designed to bring the best young paddlers together.
Sharath, who is a mentor at the Lakshyan Academy of Sports, has organised a week-long training camp for eight promising players under the watchful eyes of German coach Chris Pfeiffer, who was previously Manika Batra’s personal coach apart from mentoring Sharath, Manav Thakkar and Manush Shah.
Incidentally, Pfeiffer is among the top contenders for the post of chief coach of the national team and will be the first foreigner after Italian Massimo Costantini’s exit in 2018.
The 34-year-old said Sharath approached him in January this year to train Indian youngsters, which includes Manav, Shah, Sougata Sarkar, Adarsh Om Chetri, Mudit Dani, Sudhanshu Grover, Roopan Santhosh and Divyansh Srivatsava.
A former national-level player, Pfeiffer is an experienced age-group coach, having been part of the German Table Tennis Federation’s U-15 and U-17 coaching systems. This, apart from having helmed German league teams.
On the purpose of the camp, Pfeiffer said, “The short-term goal is the upcoming senior national & inter-state table tennis championships, while the World Championships is the long-term plan.”
With paucity of time, Pfeiffer explained familiarization and understanding were the focal points of the game. “This camp is more about getting to know the players. The camp has been about basic advice and reminding them about what is important. For me to improve their game, I need to know the players and their game better.”
Pfeiffer believes the Indian system needs to focus on getting players to practise together. “There is a lot of talent in India, but there is a need to bring the players together. They need to train as a unit and accept that you have to work with different people. If you just stay in your comfort zone, it is hard to improve,” he pointed out.
Asked about his take on the World Table Tennis (WTT) series’ Pfeiffer, a schoolteacher turned coach, outlined that while it is a good platform, it is not a true reflection of India’s talent. “Many players participate in WTT, which is also a kind of a business model. With competition exposure, players are improving. That said, there are some Indian players who are better but probably they can’t afford to raise funds to participate in WTT events.”
Pfeiffer had a unique take on mental conditioning, stating that Indian athletes should draw from the cultural and spiritual richness of the country. “For a high-performance athlete, mental strength is the most important aspect because everybody can play a backhand or forehand. Mental strength is where you win matches. In India, given the cultural and spiritual background, the opportunities to build on mental strength are enormous. I don’t think the younger generation has realized the importance of yoga and meditation.”
While Pfeiffer was non-committal on talks with TTFI for the top job, he admitted he would be interested in the role. He pointed towards the structure, when asked about what he would like to change. “I would like to bring in a new structure with emphasis on age-group programmes. Also, a coach needs the power to decide about a few key elements, which need to be followed. Also, there is a need to improve the mindset of players.”
