'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Upcoming Indian table tennis star Sreeja Akula is currently in Chinese Taipei for a ten-day camp which is her first training stint abroad ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The star Indian paddler, who recently won her second WTT title in Beirut, hopes to benefit from taking on a variety of sparring partners in the Chinese Taipei club before playing the ITTF Singles World Cup.
During an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, Sreeja Akula shed light on how she hopes to take the winning momentum into the Paris Games which commences in late July.
"For the next three months, I will be focussing more on my training. I will be training in Chinese Taipei for ten days and then I will be playing the World Cup in Macau from April 15. After that, we also have the Saudi Smash (WTT Grand Smash) which is one of the most important tournaments," she stated.
The 25-year-old, who has never trained abroad in the past, also revealed that she would like to be based in Hyderabad in the final days leading up to the Paris Games.
"I have never trained abroad so the (Chinese Taipei) trip will be the first time I will be going abroad for training. I wanted to try it now as I have two or three months time before the Games. Just before the Olympics, I do not want to train outside the country. I want to train in Hyderabad," Sreeja disclosed.
The 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold medalist hopes to benefit from playing a variety of sparring partners ahead of the Olympic Games during the Taipei camp.
"I can get different sparring partners there. There are a variety of players in the Taipei club that I would be going to. It is a ten-day camp and then I will be travelling to Macau," said Sreeja
"We have very good team bonding over the last two to three years" - Sreeja Akula on how the women qualified for the Olympic Games for the first time ever
The Indian women's table tennis team created history by qualifying for the Olympic Games for the first time.
Sreeja Akula praised the players and coaches who contributed significantly to the achievement, while also applauding the government's TOPS scheme and SAI for providing players with international exposure.
"The credit for Olympic qualification goes to each and every player who gave their best. We have a very good team bonding over the last two or three years," Sreeja stressed with an unequivoval sense of pride.
"There is no one person whom we can give the credit to - there are so many. The federation, TOPS (Target Olympic Podium Scheme), and SAI (Sports Authority of India) who have been supporting us. The kind of exposure we got in the last two years has been tremendous," Sreeja disclosed.
Sreeja Akula and compatriot Manika Batra will both be in action at the upcoming ITTF World Cup which begins in Macau on April 15.
