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University of Madras' Nithyashree Mani bagged the youth title in the girls' Under-19 singles event of the 83rd junior and youth national table tennis championships last year.
She has been playing Table Tennis for the last 11 years and was former India number 1. She has represented India in more than 20 tournaments globally. She participated in the World Youth Championship last year in Tunisia and has won 5 gold medals for the country. "This is my first time playing at the Khelo India games and it was a great experience overall even though we lost in the quarter-finals. It is all about participating and the tournament was well organized. We were very happy with the accommodation, travel, and food. Hope to come back to Lucknow again sometime for a tournament." Like most of the athletes, Nithyashree has faced a fair share of challenges in life. "The most pressing issue is the financial challenges we face. Table Tennis is an expensive sport and we have to participate in a lot of international tournaments to improve our rankings. We belong to a middle-class family so it is difficult for my parents to spend a lot on my training. They always try to do their best but I hope for more corporate support." (ANI)
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