The master of the table

Chennai: Nikhil didn't harbour hopes of pursuing table tennis seriously in the initial three years. I train for about eight to 10 hours a day. I practise different strokes with different players in my academy.

When S. Nikhil held a table tennis racket as a fiveyear-old, he didn't know anything about the game.

But he found the sport fun.

Intrigued, he soon joined Chennai Table Tennis Foundation (CTTF).

Nikhil's interest in TT went up. It grew so much that he went on to become Tamil Nadu's No.1 in the U-19 category.

Nikhil didn't harbour hopes of pursuing TT seriously in the initial three years. He just wanted to enjoy playing the sport. “It was out of curiosity I joined CTTF. But when I started to play well and had the confidence of playing tournaments, I realised that TT was going to be important in my life,“ he said.

The Chennai youngster is the player to beat in his age group. Out of the eight state ranking tournaments he played in 2013, Nikhil won four in the junior section. He was also the runner-up in the CBSE nationals held in Durgapur recently. Nikhil has represented the state twice in the national championships.

The secret of Nikhil's success is his rigorous training regime. “I train for about eight to 10 hours a day. I practise different strokes with different players in my academy besides polishing my skills with a multi-ball robot,“ he says. Apart from his regular training sessions, he concentrates on core strength through jogging on the beach, especially during the summer.

The Plus Two student of Bala Vidya Mandir admitted that it's not easy for him to juggle between studies and TT. He credited his parents and school for helping him do justice to both. “I miss many classes but my teachers and principal give me extra time and attention to complete my academic obligations. My school allows me to give my exams at a later date if it is needed,“ he said.

Nikhil has also shortterm and long-term goals and he believes that he is on course to achieve them.

“I want to bring laurels to my state as long as possible. Representing the country is a big dream,“ he said.

His coach A. V. Vidyasagar has high hopes on his charge. “I have been training Nikhil for the last 11 years. His aggression, concentration and agility are his positives. He is coming along nicely. I am sure Nikhil's best days are ahead of him,“ he said.

The TT champion is all geared up for the junior national championship in Guwahati next month and is optimistic about bagging the title.