Beating Singapore was a surprise: Kamlesh Mehta
This is also the thought that occurred to former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta as well.
When the Indian Women’s Table Tennis team blanked England 3-0 in the semi-finals to meet Singapore, it seemed like the formidable Singapore team would thump India and take home the gold. This is also the thought that occurred to former table tennis player Kamlesh Mehta as well. But Manika Batra along with her team-mates scripted a massive 3-0 upset in the finals to clinch the gold for India at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games (CwG) 2018.
They created history and broke the shackles to get India a gold after the 2010 CwG at home. A disappointing performance in 2014 at Glasgow CwG changed a lot including the head coach.
Beating a Singaporean side with top seeded players looked like a tough task but what they did is extraordinary.
“After the England game (semi-final), we thought that we will settle for the silver looking at the strength of the Singapore team. As the end approached, we were surprised to see the gold. On paper, the men’s team had a better chance but this was a pleasant surprise,” says Mehta.
Batra, who was the pioneer behind this gold beat world number four, Tianwei Feng 3-2 (11-9, 9-11, 7-11, 11-9, 11-7) in the first round to give 1-0 lead. She stepped up again when India was leading 2-1 to complete the job.
Mehta hails her performance not just for her silverware but also because she is one of the few that choose local coaches over foreign coaches. “What she (Manika) has done is exceptional. She has been training under an Indian coach and she has shown her ability. She is a complete Indian product,” says the former eight-time national champion.
The credit to this change could probably go to Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league that started last year. The local players were spending time with high-ranked foreign players that allowed them to learn and develop more. “Our main aim was create popularity and make these players recognisable faces among the masses. We have also seen that the player rankings have gone up in the past year and UTT is one major factor,” says Mehta.
In men’s doubles and mixed doubles, both the teams have advanced to the round of 16 and the veteran is expecting the TT contingent to return with more titles.