Hyderabad: If consistency is an unerring compass to quality, the Gujarati Seva Mandal Table Tennis Academy (GSMTTA) off R.P. Road in Secunderabad for years has been churning out champions with the frequency of an assembly line. Ever since Nikhat Banu became the National under 10 table tennis champion a couple of decades ago, coach Maduri Venugopal has been schooling paddlers to steadily climb the ladder to the stars.
From the cadet category to the seniors, many of his wards have advanced from club to district, state, national and international table tennis championships with the composure and calmness of seasoned professionals, undeterred by the scorching race to the top that can crush the faint-hearted. With patience as his calling card, the mentor of many has groomed several high-ranking achievers from their very first steps in the game, from scratch or from the rudiments such as the right racquet grip.
The soft-spoken coach doesn’t simply thrust them into the cauldron of competition but prepares them well, physically and mentally, with a step by step approach. With that view, he fields his players in as many events as their academics allow them to. The recent Balasani Sanyasaiah memorial Telangana state ranking table tennis tournament in Khammam is an eye-opener.
Venu’s trainees would have done any table tennis coach proud by the sheer volume of their achievements. Four of them claimed the titles in their respective categories, four finished runners-up and as many emerged third, in all clinching a stunning dozen places on the podium.
The icing on the cake was the clean sweep in the women’s category. Elder stateswoman of the sport in the Telangana landscape Nikhat Banu was the winner, Varuni Jaiswal runner up while Dongari Devisree settled for the third place. Hot on the heels of this trio was Shresta Reddy K., who emerged on top in the girls under 19 years section.
Another promising prospect from the younger crop was Vilohith J.A., who brooked no challenge in the boys under 15 set. Also presenting a bright future is Veluri Aparna, who wore the under 11 girls crown. Silver medallist among boys under 17 Sree Anish Pudipeddi also walked away with the bronze in the higher aged under 19 lot. S. Gayathri Krishna’s under 15 girls silver was another shot in the arm for coach Venu and GSM.
No spotlight moth, Venu keeps a low profile but acknowledges the support to his coaching scheme. “GSM President Ghanshyam B. Patel and Secretary Janak P. Brahmbhatt have been pillars of support. Their encouragement has never wavered over the years, their backing to the programme and academy total,” said the grateful coach.
So if a tree is known by its fruit, the GSMTTA has a hall of fame of sorts. Posters of table tennis champions adorn its walls. Under their benign gaze, the children especially draw inspiration, hoping perhaps to grace that gallery someday.
A Joseph Antony, author of ‘My way—The biography of M.L. Jaisimha’ (Apple Books, Kindle, +91-9490040831) was a sports commentator for Sony TV and a Senior Assistant Editor with The Hindu.
