G. Sathiyan’s phenomenal success in a short period of four months has taken the table tennis fraternity by storm. After completing his engineering (IT) degree last April, Sathiyan decided to focus more on the sport and make up for lost time.
The results started to flow thereafter. In August this year, Sathiyan bagged his first National crown, trouncing his good friend and former National champion Soumyajit Ghosh 4-2 in the final to win the All-India inter-institutional tournament in New Delhi.
Between October and November, Sathiyan clinched two more National-ranking titles — West Zone, Gandhidham and East Zone, Durgapur — and emerged runner-up in Central Zone (Indore). He soon became the country’s No. 1 men’s player for the first time in his career.
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Sathiyan proved he could well be a force to reckon with on the international circuit when he reached the under-21 final of the Russian Open (Pro-Tour), causing a flurry of upsets on the way.
The success has been primarily due to the diligent training program devised by four-time National singles champion S. Raman, who is now Sathiyan’s personal coach.
“There has been a complete transformation in my game after Raman took me under his wings in October 2012,” says Sathiyan. “Now, I am fitter and have a variety of attacking strokes, particularly on my backhand. The key difference is that I have more confidence in my skills.”
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The effect of Sathiyan’s game has not gone unnoticed by those in the know. After watching Sathiyan train with Sharath Kamal during the Czech Open a few months ago, Sharath’s Swedish coach Linus Mernsten praised the Chennai youngster’s game, saying “it is consistent and stable now”.
India’s foreign coach Peter Engel was surprised after Sathiyan trounced Soumyajit in the inter-institutional tournament — few have beaten the former National champion with such ease.
Training regimeSathiyan trains six days a week with 46-year-old Raman at the Nehru Stadium’s indoor athletic track, for around two-and-a-half hours. On some days, he practises with Raman; on other days, he trains with the ‘Robot’ or practises serves on his own.
Raman says devoting quality time towards fitness, which he conceived in consultation with fitness trainer Ramji Srinivas (and mental conditioning coach Badri Narayan) of Quantum Leap Performance has made a whale of difference to Sathiyan’s game.
“Definitely Ramji has added value,” emphasises Raman.
Fitness wasn’t Sathiyan’s forte then and all he did was running and a few abdomen exercises. According to Raman, Sathiyan’s fitness was a major issue. “One and a half years ago, when we took his blood test, Sathiyan’s fat percentage was very high,” says Raman, explaining that when Sathiyan started, his heart beat was 120-130 per minute, now it’s risen to 190-200, which means he can push himself hard even after 45 minutes during a hard-fought match.
With hardly six weeks remaining for the Senior National championship in Puducherry (Jan. 12 to 17 2015), Raman says a technically-sound Sathiyan is “ready and hot.”
( This is a fortnightly column on Chennai’s sporting scene ).