J. R. Shridharan
They are making a mark in major tourneys
VIJAYAWADA: Vijayawada’s K. Spoorthy, Hyderabad’s S. Akshi, T.L. Harshitha and Anantapur’s P. Darshana are just 10 summers old and these girls are the future hope of Andhra Pradesh table tennis. They are here to take part in the Satyam ranking table tennis tournament, which concludes on Sunday.
Without fear and inhibition, these little girls are making a mark in their respective age groups in the major ranking tournaments, thanks to the steady support by game’s administrators and coaches. “The introduction of ball-spraying machines has changed the learning process of these girls. Keen to match the speed and velocity of the ball, coming out of the machine, these girls have turned fleet-footed. They tackle the ball effectively thus improving their movements,” said coach Anil Kumar, who trains K. Spoorthy. Traditional coaching has paved way for modern procedures as these girls are made to practice with boys. APTTA’s efforts to spread the game to nook and corner of the State bore results and the shining example is Darshana, who won the mini cadet girls title on Saturday.
“Darshana stays close to our academy in Anantapur. She has the wherewithal to emerge as a talented paddler, but she needs to improve her fitness,” said Darshana’s coach T. Rajasekhar.
Exposure vital
APTTA secretary S.M. Sultan said that the association had made it mandatory to all paddlers to take part in the 10 ranking tournaments held every year in the State.