"Here for unfinished business" - Massimo Costantini aims to make India ‘powerhouse’

After being re-appointed as the coach of the Indian team for the third time by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), Massimo Costantini has set his goals clear. The Italian said that he aims to make India a ‘powerhouse’ in the sport and put them on par with countries like Japan and China.

Costantini has had an impressive run with the national side in his first two stints. Back in the 2010 Commonwealth Games in New Delhi, under his mentorship, India won five medals. Thereafter, he returned for his second stint in 2018 and helped India win two medals at the Jakarta Asian Games.

Despite tasting success, Costantini said that he has ‘unfinished business’ and wishes to take the Indian team to greater heights.

''I am here for unfinished business. I have always seen big potential in India to become a powerhouse in table tennis. And I like to be someone that can contribute to the success," Costantini was quoted as saying by PTI.

"We have done well in the previous two tenures. Time will tell if we can do even better. So even better means to aspire to something big in the Olympics. And that is the biggest motivation," he added.

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"Olympics is some sort of appetizer" - Massimo Costantini

Costantini, now, has his eyes on the Olympics, which is scheduled to take place in Paris from July 26 to August 11.

The veteran said that he needed to study the dynamics of the sport before imparting knowledge to the youngsters.

''The Olympics is some sort of appetizer and just only two months away. And so, just to understand what's going on, since I left, the world has changed completely, so I need to learn first before teaching," Costantini added.

Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra will lead the Indian contingent in table tennis in Paris. Harmeet Desai, Manav Thakkar, Sreeja Akula, and Archana Kamath are the other members of the team.