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Over the years, Yashaswini Ghorpade has shown that maturity and age do not go hand in hand.
Yashaswini had a tough start to her career when she suffered a slew of first-round defeats. She almost gave up the sport, but decided not to, thanks to her parents Deepak and Geeta Ghorpade.
Last year, she became the first junior to claim a singles title at a WTT Contender event when she won the title at the WTT Youth Contender Rio.
In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, the Karnataka native credited her parents and her coach Anshuman Roy for everything she has achieved in the sport to date.
"My family and coach, Anshuman Roy, are my biggest strengths, without whom I would not have reached where I am today. They have always helped me plan my next steps, and I never received any negative comments from them when I lost any matches or tournaments. They have always encouraged me to focus on the future and focus on the next step to perform better," she said.
Yashaswini Ghorpade further stated that she has enjoyed her career so far, despite stumbling every now and then. She believes that she emerges as a better player every time she faces an obstacle.
"The journey has been quite interesting, filled with ups and downs. I have been through a long period of slack where I had no wins, but I kept my focus on the game and my skills. I consider challenges to be opportunities to improve and perform better, which is why every challenge helps me push myself," she said.
While happy with being recognized for her achievements, Yashaswini stated that she still has a long career ahead of her and even highlighted one key area of her game that she is looking to improve in the immediate future.
"I feel happy when people recognize me and appreciate my game. However, this is a beginning, and I have a long path ahead. My goal is always to give my best, keep working hard and bring more agility to my game with stamina," she added.
"Worked too hard for our team to qualify for the Olympics for the first time" - Yashaswini Ghorpade on India's Olympics prospect
With the 2024 Olympics set to get underway in Paris on July 26, there are high expectations from fans for India to win their maiden medal at the Games. Like many, Yashaswini is also hoping for the best from the Indian team when they compete in the French capital.
"The current Indian TT team comprising Sharath Anna, Satyinan Anna, Harmeet Anna, Manika Di, Sreeja Akka, Ayhika Di, and Archana Akka, to name a few, are all tremendous players and have worked too hard for our team to qualify for the Olympics for the first time," she said.
"They all have been putting in hours during training, playing competitive matches against the best in the world because all of it can help us get the first medal in Table Tennis at the Paris Olympics," she added.
When asked to name her idols, the paddler stated that she looks up to Achanta Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra in table tennis. She also said that she has been following the careers of PV Sindhu and HS Prannoy.
"Sharath Anna and Manika Di are my role models. Recently, I have started following Sreeja and her journey too. From other sports, I follow and admire PV Sindhu and Prannoy Hs. I watch matches and have been following their journey. All these players have inspired me, and I am learning from them a lot," she disclosed.
