"I've never taken such a long break" - Sreeja Akula on being advised six weeks rest after suffering a stress fracture

Sreeja Akula is undoubtedly one of India’s top women’s singles paddlers. The 26-year-old Arjuna awardee has risen to remarkable heights in recent years and currently sits at the 21st spot in the world rankings. Akula also put on an outstanding performance at the Paris Olympics 2024, advancing to the last 16, and came tantalizingly close to defeating the World No. 1 from China.

However, after her Olympic success, an unfortunate injury has since sidelined her from competing, forcing her to withdraw from both the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league and several future tournaments.

In an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda, Sreeja Akula gave her views on the importance of a league like UTT; the unwavering support the Jaipur Patriots have shown in her, and also provided an insight into her injury.

After Sreeja’s matches at the Olympics, what occurred next turned out to be a rather unfortunate and unexpected shock for everyone. Reflecting on how her injury unfolded, she shared,

"So immediately after a team match in the Olympics, I got an MRI done. There was some kind of pain and some niggle in my groin, but I was able to [continue] thankfully in the Olympics. I had no problem. I was able to manage," she said.

Despite the discomfort, Sreeja played through her Olympic matches with sheer determination.

"Sometimes when I had pain, I just took a painkiller. But it did not affect any of my matches," she revealed.

However, the seriousness of the issue became clear after the event when she sought medical advice.

"After the team matches, our Indian contingent doctor, Dr. Dinshaw Pardiwala, was there. And even my physio, Mr. Sumansh, was also there. And they've advised me to just go for an MRI to be on the safer side."

"The very next day, I got to know that there's a small stress fracture in my groin, the hip bone. So that was something very shocking. It's my first major injury so far," she revealed.

"The doctor advised six weeks rest. And I was shocked to hear that six weeks is actually a very big time for me. I've never taken such a long break. I did take breaks, but not a complete break like this. But OK, it's not in my hands," she further explained.

The road to recovery has forced her to make some tough decisions, including missing key tournaments.

"In the meantime, I am missing UTT. And also, I have this WTT Champions in Macau from 9 September. Unfortunately, I'll not be able to make it for that tournament as well," she lamented.

"I was seriously very excited to participate in the [UTT] season" - Sreeja Akula on competing at the UTT 2024 before suffering an injury

Sreeja Akula, who was bought by the Jaipur Patriots prior to the Olympics, had high hopes for the Ultimate Table Tennis (UTT) league. She was excited to represent her team alongside her coach, Somnath Ghosh, at the event.

Recalling her conversation with her coach Somnath Ghosh prior to the auction, she said,

"Yes, actually, before going for the auction, Somnath sir and I were hoping that he gets the [first lot] in the draft. Somnath sir was sure that he would take me as his first pick. He also consulted his team owner and the foreign coach, and everybody was ready for it. We were just hoping for that first lot. And then once he got it, we were very happy."

The opportunity to play for the Jaipur Patriots, with her coach by her side, was thrilling for Sreeja.

"I was seriously very excited to participate in the [UTT] season, especially with my coach on the bench who's supporting me. I feel very good and very confident when Somnath sir is sitting for my match. It's a very good feeling. So we were very excited," she said.

Unfortunately, her excitement was short-lived due to the injury she sustained after the Paris Olympics, which forced her to withdraw from the season. Despite this setback, Sreeja expressed gratitude towards the Jaipur Patriots for their continued support.

“Even now, they [the Jaipur Patriots team] treat me as a part of their team. And they're very happy to have me with them,” she said.

Sreeja also spoke about the growth of the UTT league and its impact on Indian table tennis.

"I think now last year there were six teams, and now it's eight. I think we can see that there are more and more people who want to invest in table tennis, who want to promote the game of table tennis in India. And it's a very positive change," she explained.

Akula emphasized the importance of UTT in providing opportunities for young players, adding,

"There are so many youngsters now in UTT who are getting a chance to, you know, participate in UTT and are getting that exposure. So with eight teams, there are more players who are getting that exposure. And I think it's a very positive change for Indian table tennis."

She also spoke about the influx of corporate investment in the sport as a promising sign for its development.

"There are many corporates and many of them coming forward to invest in the sport. So it's very nice," Sreeja concluded.