National Games 2025: Sathiyan Gnanasekaran gears up to represent Tamil Nadu in the team event after 10 years

Ace Indian table tennis player Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is ready to compete in the 38th National Games, which is taking place in Dehradun, Uttarakhand, from January 28 to February 14, 2025.

The paddler, who currently has a world ranking of 70 in men's singles, showed enthusiasm for the event on social media as he headed to Dehradun.

Taking to his X account, he penned out:

"Off to Dehradun for National Games 2025. Proud to be representing Tamil Nadu at the 38th National Games & excited to be competing again in the team event after 10 long years. Bringing back old memories after a decade."

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is a prominent figure in Indian table tennis. He was part of the Indian squad that bagged successive men's team gold medals at the Commonwealth Games in 2018 and 2022.

He has achieved many milestones in his stellar career, such as attaining a career-best world ranking of 24 in May 2019, when he became the first Indian player to break into the world's top 25 ITTF rankings.

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Sathiyan Gnanasekaran set to bring experience to TN squad at 38th National Games

The return of Sathiyan Gnanasekaran to the team event after 10 years will be an addition of depth to Tamil Nadu's squad, which would make them quite strong contenders for the competition. Fans are keenly waiting to see whether the experienced paddler can help his state triumph in this table tennis tournament that is known for its intense competitiveness.

The National Games 2025, one of India's premier multi-sport events, has witnessed participation from over 10,000 athletes, officials, and coaches. The event is featuring 38 core sports like table tennis, athletics, badminton, boxing, and weightlifting, along with traditional sports such as Mallakhamb and Kalarippayattu.

It comes after the success of the 2023 edition held in Goa, where Maharashtra topped the medal tally with 228 medals, including 80 gold.