For the first time India have qualified for the team event in table tennis for the upcoming Paris Olympic Games. Harmeet Desai, one of the key members of Team India for the upcoming mega event, is eagerly waiting for his Olympic debut.
Currently training in Germany, Harmeet said, “It’s every athlete’s dream to represent the country at the Olympic Games and it has taken me 25 years of hard work to realise this dream. It just shows that being patient and trusting the process eventually helps you in fulfilling your dreams.”
Also, I feel it’s a matter of great pride for Gujarat that two TT players from the state (Manav Thakkar being the other one) are a part of India’s Olympic TT team. Manav and I complement each other well in doubles and I have learnt a lot from him.”
Though Indian table tennis players have represented the country at individual events in Olympics in the past, this will be the first team representation from India for the world’s biggest sporting carnival, beginning July 26.
Harmeet said, “I am being very careful about my diet and fitness regimen. In the last few months, I have travelled to different countries for tournaments and with so much travelling, it isn’t easy to take care of one’s diet. We always carry the necessary supplements and sufficient carbs intake is important during a tournament. While I have been working out regularly, I don’t exert myself too much before a big event. I have been a huge fan of Rafael Nadal and want to meet him in Paris. I love his approach towards the sport (tennis) and would love to have a conversation with him.”
Harmeet, who got married to TT player Krittwika Sinha Roy in December 2021, shares, “I last met Krittwika one-and-a-half months ago, and won’t be able to meet my family for at least another month. It’s tough and I miss her (Krittwika); we speak daily over video calls.”
He adds, “It’s a blessing to be married to a TT player because she understands these things. Also, whenever I am not playing well, talking to her really helps.”
“I have done well in the past few months, which includes becoming the national champion for the second time and winning an important doubles title (with Manav) in Nigeria. Qualifying for the Olympics was a historic moment for our TT team. On our day, we can beat anyone, and we will be aiming for a medal in the team event, Harmeet further said, adding, “overall, I believe this will be India’s best show at the Olympics and our medal haul should be in double digits, which has never happened before.”
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