PANJIM: Goa will struggle to win a medal in table tennis at the forthcoming National Games to be held in Goa, despite the State having achieved some success at the junior level, remarked Goa Table Tennis Association (GTTA) president, Adv Vero Nunes, in a candid interview with O Heraldo.
Vero was blunt when asked about TT prospects at the ensuing Nat Games: “They are having a 90-day camp. Is it possible to produce champions in that period of time? To create champions, you need to have practice for at least six to eight years. Otherwise it is not possible.”
Making an allusion to the coconut tree, which is not very appropriate, Vero stated: “Given proper care and growing conditions, coconut palms produce their first fruit in six to 10 years, taking 15 to 20 years to reach peak production.” Coming to any sport, you need literal years of dedicated practice and training for hours a day, basically giving up most of your life to dedicate to your training. Then competing against the most pre-eminent athletes from all over the country and the other parts of the world. It needs stamina, perseverence, self-confidence, practice, sacrifices, failures, pain, hardwork, focus, etc. It requires hours and hours of training and preparations every day for many years.”
“Talent has to be recognised, nurtured, harnessed and channeled to result in a technique that will be competitive at the highest levels. Need a highly trained, experienced coach, infrastructure and facilities. One must know what is the pay structure for top, high sckilled coaches. So it is a process, there being no short cuts for making of a champion,” stressed Vero. “It is not a question of delivery in nine months,” he remarked.
“Unless, the Directorate of Sports and Youth Affairs (DSYA), Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) and associations have a long-term plan with well defined strategies and huge fund allocation, one cannot talk of excellence,” pointed out Vero. Above all, you need top coaches or technical directors and the authorities must understand their fee structure and the perks involved therein. Look at the GFDC today which is without the Technical Director after the foreign coach South African Ketz Naidu left. Naidu was getting around Rs 3 lakh per month.
Vero stressed that the picture at the State junior level was very encouraging as the players were earning laurels and medals. But it has not translated into medals at the level of the seniors. “We do not have adequate infrastructure to train the players now. The Khelo India programme has taken over the indoor stadium hall for badminton, leaving just a small portion of the space for table tennis.”
“In the past, the GTTA organised special coaching camps under the Chinese, Korean and German coaches. Even National champ Kamlesh Mehta conducted a coaching camp for our boys and girls. We had 10 tables then, unlike now and as such we cannot organise such camps which are vital for the growth of the sport,” remarked Vero.
“We had suggested a stadium on the land next to the swimming pool, but nothing concrete has come out of that. Plans were ready but no action is being taken in the matter,” added Vero.
NIS table tennis coach Amit Naik has been going around his job diligently. “We have several talented players from Panjim, Mapusa and Margao but none of them have been able to make a mark at the national level. I believe we should get players from outside, across various age groups and make them play in the leagues. This will introduce our players to a higher standard of play at a regular level. They will also play against players who play different styles,” explained Amit.
Amit stressed that the programme should go on, on regular basis for prolonged period. “Last month, our Under-19 team qualified among the top 16 at the Nationals. The talent is certainly there, but we have to find ways and means to help them grow higher”.
Despite the drawbacks and given the present scenario, it appears that we can do this much and no more. Goa hosted the World Table Tennis wherein the cream of world TT players participated. The world class players showcased their supreme skills. Did the Government find out what it took them to reach world class standards? They came with their personal trainers. They stayed in luxury resorts. Did we learn any lesson on what it takes to produce champions? Goa is under sham amauterism, to say the least. The SAG is in need of a total revamp and the best way to kick it off is by launching the Grassroots and Youth Development programmes with proper fund allocation.
