Thirteen-year-old paddler PB Abhinandh is representing India at the World Youth Championships — December 2 to 8 — in Portugal.
The young Adyar resident is buoyed up on the success of a recent outing at the national level, which was not just title-winning, but also signalled his remarkable transition from cadet to sub-junior category with its greater demands.
At the National Ranking North Zone Table Tennis Championship held in Mohali, Punjab recently, Abhinandh picked up the title in the Under-15 category in a performance undergirded by mental toughness. A press release issued by the youngster’s coach MB Subin Kumar and father PB Muralidharan, makes a pointed reference to how Abhinandh has added a new weapon to his arsenal — an ability to stay unruffled and focus harder on the points while teetering on the brink of defeat.
While his service variations — a hallmark of his game — came to his aid, it was largely resilience that carried the day for him in the quarterfinals, where he successfully fought his way back from a 0-2 scoreline, the release notes.
Similarly, in the summit clash with Balamurugan Muthu, also from Tamil Nadu, Abhinandh was up against a 1-2 scoreline and also the confidence-sapping memory of losses in previous encounters to the opponent. He took the next three games to clinch the title.
Bronze medals in the under-15 events at WTT Youth Contender — Tunisia and WTT Youth Contender — Muscat championships are among his recent achievements on the international stage. Currently holding the top ranking at the national level in the Under-15 category, Abhinandh is trained by MB Subin Kumar, an IITF high performance certified coach at Chennai Achievers Table Tennis Academy in Thiruvanmiyur.
The press note adds: Abhinandh is a Class IX student of Sri Sankara Senior Secondary School in Adyar where the principal and teachers are a source of support to him as he seeks laurels on the 2.7 m by 1.5 m table.
