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Ace paddler Sanil Shetty has been a part of the Indian squad on numerous occasions. He has won multiple medals for the country at the Commonwealth Games and South Asian Games.
Currently playing for the Bengaluru Smashers at the Ultimate Table Tennis 2023, Sanil did not have the best of runs and was benched to accommodate Jeet Chandra after a couple of unsuccessful outings.
Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, Sanil Shetty spoke about how the Asian Games 2023 will give the youngsters a good chance to go up against some of the best players in the world and believes that the Indian contingent will perform well.
"I think it's a really great platform to play for the young players as it is the Asian Games," he said. "It is a very tough competition as all the top countries play like China, Japan and Korea. It's a great exposure. I think that they will really do well in this competition. I wish them all the best for this."
Sanil and Manika Batra are two players who played together at the now-defunct RPSG Mavericks in the Ultimate Table Tennis 2019 and are part of the Smashers. Sanil Shetty feels that the team environment is nearly the same and has a family-like culture.
"It's the same environment in the team. Bengaluru Smashers are a really great team. They never give any pressure. We have become a family now. I really feel comfortable and confident with this team."
"I think he will do really well in the upcoming years" - Sanil Shetty backs Jeet Chandra to be India's next superstar
Being a left-handed paddler, Sanil Shetty spoke about the additional advantage it gives him. He feels that having a left-hander in the squad gives the team a different dimension, opening up multiple options especially when it comes to the mixed doubles match.
"I think it gives an edge," Sanil continued. "If you see there aren't many left-handers playing even in India. There are only two Indian left-handers in UTT - me and Manush (Shah)."
"Among foreign players also there are only two - (Benedikt) Duda and Alvaro (Robles)," he added. "So out of so many players only four left-handers. It gives a little edge. In the team, it's important to have a left-hander so you can mix up with mixed doubles."
The experienced campaigner was all praises for Jeet Chandra and feels he has the potential to exceed expectations in the upcoming years. Sanil also spoke about how the teammates turn to each other for advice and there are open lines of communication.
"In our team, we have Kirill and me," Sanil Shetty added. "We give him a lot of advice and even take advice from each other. I take advice from Kirill and even we guide Kirill. So overall it's a great team and I think Jeet is doing really well at the international level and in the Indian circuit as well. I think he will do really well in the upcoming years."
Although Bengaluru Smashers might not qualify for the playoffs of Ultimate Table Tennis 2023, it has been quite a memorable run for them with plenty of positives to take home from their debut outing.
