Little champion in our midst

Having won 14 out of 15 table tennis tournaments at the State mini-cadet level, Kavyasree has made East Tambaram proud.

Risky WALK: Most residents of East Tambaram go to the West Tambaram market for purchasing provisions. Many school students studying in educational institutions on MES Road come from West Tambaram. Photo: M. Karunakaran

B. Kavyasree started playing table tennis in 2012. From the beginning, she has displayed the mark of A champion. She has a great track record, having won 14 of the 15 tournaments at the State mini-cadet level (below 10 years) and is positioned at number one in the State mini-cadet level and at number two in the State cadet level, below 12 years.  

A Class V student of Madras Christian College Campus School, East Tambaram, her source of encouragement and inspiration are her parents M. Baskar and B. Prathiba, her coach S. Mohan and K. Raghuraj, founder, Chandra Table Tennis Coaching Centre at Jaigopal Garodia National Higher Secondary School (JGNHSS), Tambaram Sanatorium.

The school has given a portion of its auditorium to the Centre for free to coach aspiring players.

The young champion has been selected to play in the 76 Cadet and Sub-Juniors’ Nationals in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh from December 22 to 27.

“She is the first player from the Centre to represent the State at the National level. Kavyasree has played in the Ezone National Ranking Tournament, where she advanced up to the pre-quarterfinals,” her father says.  “It is quite a feat to play in a national tournament at the age of nine,” her coach Mohan pointed out.

“I practise from 5.30 to 9 p.m. on all weekdays. During tournaments, I undergo special coaching on weekends too. Practising the sport improves footwork and concentration, which are essential for increasing memory power and intelligence quotient (IQ) and making reflex movements sharper.

and reflex movements The sport is the second fastest alert game in the world,” Kavyasree said.

The Centre has invested a couple of Table Tennis S27 dual-head Robots for practice to enhance the performance of the players.

“It is almost like playing with an opponent. It improves eye-hand coordination and reflexes. More and more youngsters are taking up the sport, which is a good sign. I am excited to represent the State in the Nationals and hope to play well,” she said. “I am thankful to my parents, my coach Raghuraj, K. Narayana Rao, secretary and S. Rajendran, joint secretary, JGNHSS, who have played a vital role in making me what I am today,” she says.