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Ahead of the finals of the Dream Sports Championship (DSC) U-15 Table Tennis tournament, German table tennis coach Chris Pfeiffer, who is a part of Sharath Kamal Academy, explained how the tournament is helping in developing the pipeline of the next generation of table tennis players in India.
The five-day tournament, taking place at the Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai, provided a professional environment for the young paddlers to test themselves against a strong battlefield, according to a press release. With a six-camera set-up under lights, and live streaming available on FanCode, Chris says the young athletes are learning how to deal with pressure. "I think it's a great initiative with a unique professional setup. With a six-camera set-up, the matches are being live-streamed. For young players, being in this environment is an amazing chance to learn how to handle pressure. We definitely need more initiatives like this," Chris said, the release said. Chris is present at the tournament to coordinate mental health training sessions with parents, coaches, and athletes under DSF's Dream Again program. He explained why the sessions are crucial for the overall growth of India's table tennis ecosystem. "Table tennis is an individual sport that requires immense skill and years of learning. For parents, patience is key to supporting a child's future in the game. A strong environment is essential, and initiatives like these benefit everyone," Chris said. The parents and coaches present also praised the educational workshops and explained how they have helped them gain a deeper understanding of how their kids play."My kid has learned many things. We want more of this," said the mother of 13-year-old Pratik Tulsani, who is currently India's no. 1 in the U-13 category. "Parents don't always see the behind-the-scenes effort in coaching sessions. These sessions provide athletes with valuable insights. As a coach, I've also learned new techniques to train my students, particularly in handling multiple balls and refining wrist movements," said Rajendra Sawant, Pratik's coach. Results: Sahil Rawat and Ritvik Gupta have both earned their places in the final. Rawat secured his spot with a commanding 3-1 victory over Petsunthad, winning with scores of 11-8, 11-4, 13-11, and 11-6, showing particular dominance in the second set. Meanwhile, Gupta overcame Atharva Nawarange, also with a 3-1 scoreline, posting set scores of 11-8, 10-12, 11-6, and 11-9 after bouncing back from a narrow loss in the second set. On the girls' side, Divyanshi Bhowmick and Shreya Dhar secured their spots in the final after Bhowmick prevailed in a nail-biting five-set contest against Tanishka Kalbhairav, coming back from losing the first set to win 3-2 with scores of 4-11, 11-9, 11-5, 9-11, and a dramatic 12-10 in the deciding set. Dhar had a slightly more comfortable path to the final, defeating Ananya Muralidharan 3-1 with scores of 11-6, 11-9, 9-11, and 12-10. (ANI)
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