Inconsistency continues to be Surat paddler's bane even as federation officials feel their investment isn't paying off
It is difficult to comprehend whether Harmeet Desai has lost his spark or succumbed to high expectations. Whatever the case may be, the paddler from Surat, who shone a couple a years ago both nationally and internationally at the junior level, has nose dived considerably.
In national competitions this season, Desai has only managed one runner-up position in a zonal championship. Add to that, his performance at the Commonwealth TT championships at Surat has been inconsistent.
Desai had a two-game lead against David McBeath in the first rubber of the best of five men's team final against England. However, he squandered the lead to hand McBeath an unlikely victory. Fortunately for India, Soumyajit Ghosh's singles and reverse singles win ensured the team returned with gold.
Fourth seed Desai was also almost out of the singles rubber when he faced another Englishman Helshan Weerasinghe in the pre-quarters. Somehow, Desai saved three match points to edge past the Englishman. And just when it looked like he had found his groove, Desai again blew up a 3-1 advantage against Sanil Shetty to bow out of the quarterfinals later in the evening.
It's this unpredictably that has irked many an expert, as well as Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) officials. Some in the federation believe that Desai hasn't performed in a manner that was expected of him. According to them, their investment in him isn't bearing fruit.
Having shown early promise, TTFI sent Desai and Ghosh to Sweden for advanced training under the vigil eyes of former world champion Peter Karlsson. Both the 22-year-olds spent five years at Karlsson's academy before Desai decided to shift base to France last year, where he plays for the Mirabas Club.
While Ghosh zoomed into top 100 this year, Desai is still lingering outside 150. "I know it is an uphill task, but one needs to be patient. Soumyajit was in the 120s for four years before entering the top 100. Though I haven't set a target, but I wish to make break into the top 100 in 2017," Desai said.
Desai admitted that consistency is something he is working upon, even as he asked for people to show patience. "I am in the right direction. The process is on and it will take time to get results. It's a long-term process. So, people need to be a little patient. At the same time, I admit that I have to improve my consistency, especially in close games. I'm working hard on my mental aspect," said Desai when asked about handling pressure.
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 "Harmeet Desai")
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