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Four Indian paddlers – G Sathiyan, Sutirtha Mukherjee, Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra – confirmed their berths in the upcoming Tokyo Olympics this summer. The quartet did so during the Asian qualifiers in Doha.
While Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra will feature in their fourth and second Olympics, respectively, it would be the first time for both Sutirtha Mukherjee and G Sathiyan.
The world no. 37 G Sathiyan, in particular, was a contender to qualify for the prestigious quadrennial competition.
Starting the year with the National title in February, the 28-year-old G Sathiyan didn’t have a great outing in the WTT Contender series in Doha. G Sathiyan had lost in the World qualifiers first round last week.
Nevertheless, the Tamil Nadu- born G Sathiyan came out all guns blazing to top the South Asia group and walk away with his maiden Olympics ticket.
In an exclusive interaction with Sportskeeda, an ecstatic G Sathiyan spoke about his Asian qualifiers tourney, his rivalry with Sharath Kamal, and much more.
Here are the excerpts:
SK: What is the feeling after securing your maiden Olympics berth?
G Sathiyan: I have no words to express. It’s one of the best moments of my life, a priceless moment; years of struggle have finally come true and have actually paid dividends.
Playing at the Olympics has definitely been one of the biggest goals in my life since I started playing the sport. I am out of words, and it’s a very emotional moment for me, my family, my coach and everyone, for sure.
SK: How tough was the match against Rameez Muhammed? Were you nervous?
G Sathiyan: Rameez was actually playing much better than me. I played him a few years back, but on the day, he was playing much better and putting more balls on the table.
I was also a little anxious, as my ticket to Tokyo was on the line. I knew I was a big favourite, but definitely there were some nerves. I knew I was much superior in the game, but I had to keep things simple, calm myself down and focus one point at a time. Eventually, I managed to pull things off and won 4-0.
I think I played really well; the confidence was very high, especially after winning against Sharath Kamal in a seven-seat thriller. From there, I just had to continue and focus on the process and not think too much about the future or the Olympics qualification.
SK: How would you define your rivalry against Sharath Kamal? You have beaten him twice this year.
G Sathiyan: (Laughs) There is no secret in beating Sharath. He is a legendary player and a great fighter. I was 2-0 up in both games, but he came back on both occasions. That speaks volumes about his fighting abilities even at his age (38). He has played a lot of table tennis.
I think he has experience of almost my age. It’s always a pleasure playing him, and I think it’s a treat for table tennis fans when both of us play against each other.
Kudos to Raman, sir, as he provided me with a great strategy even when he was not physically around. He gave me a proper plan on how to proceed with the match and strategise really well, which actually worked. I am really happy to beat Sharath back-to-back; it’s a huge achievement.
I think I ticked off two important boxes in my sporting career – a National Champion and playing at the Olympics. Credit to Sharath for playing four Olympics; it’s no mean task.
I can’t imagine how difficult it is for me, it took so much effort to play one Olympics. I think it’s really fun to go together and make a mark in Tokyo.
SK: In the sixth game against Sharath, you won seven consecutive points. Did that turn the match in your favour?
G Sathiyan: I was two games up and had some niggles in my shoulder. He fought back and made it 2-2.
He went 10-8 up in the next but made some silly errors to concede the game. Then he came back very strongly and was 6-2 up in the sixth game. From thereon, I think the game turned again. He made a couple of errors, and I hit some good shots. It’s just like one or two moments in the match that really turns matches at this level.
Yes, the sixth game was very crucial. From thereon, I think I was in the match. I was attacking very well, hitting very hard and fast on the table, which made Sharath make more mistakes.
SK: How did you utilise the lockdown in improving your game?
G Sathiyan: I think I have improved a lot of things during the lockdown. On my backhand, I have stepped up and I'm playing more aggressively. The serves and returns have also improved; I've also worked on the physical aspect.
These improvements have made me a better player now, which has given me a cutting edge. It was a very close match and could have gone either way. I just kept working on the process, focussing on one point at a time.
SK: Most of the players don’t look at social media in between matches to concentrate on their games. But you were active on Twitter after beating Sharath Kamal. Does that help in relieving the pressure?
G Sathiyan: (Laughs) I mean, I really don’t go into the comments section too much just before matches because it gets disturbing there.
I really like to read posts or like or retweet. I don't post anything as such. I only retweet or share. There is my social media team, who does tweeting and retweeting on my behalf most of the time.
I had a lot of time (after the first game). I wanted to relax. Sometimes it’s very relaxing to see something good about you. The positive vibes also come in. When I have a longer gap, some leisure time, I do spend time on social media seeing the older posts.
I really like to engage with my fans and keep the social media buzz active. It’s very important to get the fans’ support, but I also make sure it doesn’t disturb my match preparations.
SK: What’s the plan ahead for G Sathiyan?
G Sathiyan: I will take a bit of rest now and do some rehabilitation work because of a niggle on my shoulder. Hopefully, I will be fine in a week.
