Sreeja eyes podium at Asiad

 Hyderabad: Paddler Akula Sreeja is over the moon, understandably. She has been picked in the Indian table tennis squad for the Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, China, from September 23 and October 2.

“I am very excited. Getting to know of my selection for the Asian Games surely made my day,” an elated Sreeja said.

Ahead of the continental showpiece event the 10-member squad, comprising five men and five women will take part in the Asian Championships to be held in Pyeongchang, Korea from September 3 to 10.

The Hyderabad paddler will compete in all the three events — singles, doubles and mixed doubles —in her maiden appearance.

Sreeja says the 2022 Commonwealth Games mixed doubles gold alongside Sharath Kamal has raised the expectation bar and will add to pressure. “There definitely is some pressure. CWG experience was really good but I have to go with a fresh mindset into the game, because playing against Asians is totally different. I don’t have too many expectations but would want to give my best. I want to focus on every match and try to score upset victories,” said the two-time national champion.

“The Japanese and Chinese will be tough competitors, even Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei are really good teams, but we are well prepared,” said the 24-year-old.

Sreeja is currently focused on staying fit and injury-free. “My aim is to stay fit and not suffer injuries — taking part in many tournaments and travelling back-to-back is causing injuries to many players,” said Sreeja, before travelling to take part in the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) Season 4.

Speaking about her partners she said: “Diya Chitale has been my partner from last year and we have had good outings. We also won the national championship and a bronze at the WTT contender. In mixed doubles, I paired with Harmeet bhaiyya (Harmeet Desai) a year ago and we played a couple of tournaments together. I think we can make the cut this time. We are aiming for a podium finish and will try our best to achieve that.”

“We are also playing many tournaments next month, it’s good match practice. We are going to the Asian Championships ahead of the big event. It will also help as a preparatory camp for us,” said the RBI assistant manager.

Sreeja’s coach Somnath Ghosh was sporting a big smile. “It will be Sreeja’s maiden Asian Games, I am very happy for her. It will be a tough challenge but she is trying to give her best and we are working together for best results,” he said.