"You get an opportunity and are not prepared. I don't want to face that situation" - Sathiyan on preparing for Olympics despite being in the reserves

Sathiyan Gnanasekaran is one of India's most distinguished table tennis players. The 31-year-old is an Arjuna awardee and Asian Games medalist and has also won multiple medals at the Commonwealth Games.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Gnanasekaran shared insights into his preparations and mindset as he heads to Paris for the Olympic Games. He also spoke about India’s remarkable growth in table tennis in recent years and gave his views on the return of coach Massimo Costantini as India’s head coach.

India’s men’s and women’s table tennis teams recently made history by qualifying for the team events at the Paris Olympics.

Although Gnanasekaran narrowly missed out on making the main squad, his journey to Paris is far from over. As a reserve player, he remains an integral part of the team, ready to step in should any of the main paddlers be unable to compete due to unforeseen circumstances.

He expressed his unwavering commitment to staying prepared and emphasized the importance of readiness.

"Definitely, Paris is still the goal. We have been training together as a team, preparing, as I will be playing; that is very critical. You get an opportunity, and are not prepared. I don't want to face that situation. We are all fully prepared and in good shape. Played well in the last three tournaments. I am sure we will be going in as a team and doing our best," he said.

With the return of coach Massimo Constantini as India's head coach, Gnanasekaran also discussed the adjustments in their training routines ahead of the Paris Olympics 2024.

"He [Coach Massimo Costantini] has just arrived. It has been a month. It is good. He is first trying to understand how it is with everyone. He has been talking a lot with us. Understanding our training program. A lot of things have changed in the last six years. We are trying to fit his training program,” Gnanasekaran said.

“Probably closer to the Olympics now; he has a good program sense as well. He knows players in and out. We are mostly trying to have a mix of what we are already doing with his inputs. I think both coming together will definitely have a good impact in our training," he added.

---

"I think it is a combination of a lot of aspects” - Sathiyan Gnanasekaran on the rise of Indian table tennis

Reflecting on India's remarkable growth in table tennis over the past few years, Gnanasekaran attributed it to a combination of factors.

"It is not just one aspect. I think it is a combination of a lot of aspects,” he said.

“One is UTT coming into play in 2017. I was a youngster and have now grown into a senior player. That platform has definitely helped the athletes,” he added.

He further went on to applaud the federation and the government's professional approach, the support of a dedicated sports science team, and international exposure. Indian table tennis has seen a significant transformation, and this comprehensive support system has played a crucial role in elevating the athletes' performance on the global stage.

"The federation and the government have taken a very professional approach. We have got a sports science team. We have got people who have been with us 24x7. Seeing how we were improving the training camps. The exposure to play in the tournaments and training camps abroad," he said.

"I think we are working as a team together in a single goal. I think everyone is working hard with the right kind of support and guidance. You could see the performance is coming up,” he concluded.

Sathiyan made his Olympic debut at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and the Paris Olympics 2024 could potentially be his second appearance at the Games.