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Not many can imagine what it might feel like when one makes their debut at the prestigious Olympic Games. For Harmeet Desai, this is a dream that will soon come true. The Indian table tennis player will be making his maiden Olympic appearance at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
The paddler’s tryst with the sport started as a kid under his father Rajul who was a university-level player. Harmeet’s selection at the Petroleum Sports Promotion Board Academy in Ajmer at the age of eight was the first sign of his talent.
Though he was initially fond of tennis, badminton, and table tennis, his talent and destiny inclined him more towards table tennis. He was often sent outstation for training by his parents in a bid to gain exposure. In 2017, the Surat-born player became the first player from Gujarat to break into the top 100 world rankings.
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Harmeet Desai is part of a six-member Indian table tennis contingent in Paris. Desai, along with his teammates, would be hoping to bring India its first-ever Olympic medal in the sport.
Harmeet Desai's bright illustrious career is filled with accompishments
Though Harmeet Desai will be competing at the quadrennial event for the first time, he is already a veteran of the sport. The paddler won the gold in the men’s team and bronze in the men’s doubles at the 2018 Commonwealth Games. He also brought home a men’s team bronze at the 2018 Asian Games.
Harmeet won two golds at the 2019 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. In the same year, he also became the men’s singles national champion. Desai was bestowed with the Arjuna Award in the same year.
The 31-year-old will be participating along with Sharath Kamal as one of the two men’s singles players. He will also be a part of the men’s team along with Sharath and Manav Thakkar.
Desai’s first assignment will be in the men’s singles preliminary round vs Zaid Abo Yaman of Jordan. If he wins, he will face World No. 5 Felix Lebrun of France.
