Harmeet Desai is a fan of tennis legend Rafael Nadal, who will be participating in the last Olympics in Paris.
The 30-year-old, a Commonwealth Games and Asian Games medallist, is hoping to meet the 14-time French Open champion and former World No.1 at the Olympics. “If I get a chance, I would definitely want to take a picture with him,” said Harmeet, ranked 64th in the world.
A key member of the Indian table tennis team at the Paris Olympics along with Sharath Kamal, Harmeet’s performance will be watched with much interest. As one who will be part of the men’s team, singles, and possibly doubles, Harmeet knows the weight of expectations and the burden on his shoulders.
“Making it to the quarters of the team event will be great for the sport and I’m keen to make quite a few upsets in the singles as well,” said Harmeet.
In an exclusive interview, Harmeet talks about India’s maiden qualification as a team at the Olympics, the influence of Massimo Costantini, and his singular goal in Paris, among others.
The team has been practicing for over a week in Bengaluru. How is coach Massimo Costantini doing?
Yes. It’s been pretty good. I trained under him for the first time in 2009. And this time too, the experience has been good. The intensity he brought to training camp was good and we had some matches and we also practiced doubles. So it was good enough to practice on him again.
Massimo is known for his people management. What did you learn from the camp?
Max (Massimo) already has a plan and in his mind he is clear. He just started with us at camp, but he’s been following everyone in the past, reading and watching our shows on YouTube.
They have plans for the Olympics and we also have great support here with video and match analysis. The plan is to give me a chance to practice doubles and singles as I haven’t played doubles with Manav Thakkar lately.
Doubles is very important in the Olympics because it is the first match of the tie in the team event. Is there any special preparation?
Yes. So, remember, we test different partners. Max has planned a great road map leading up to the Paris Olympics. There is a huge emphasis on the roadmap.
We focus on the tactical part because it is difficult to change something and we don’t have much time, but we work hard on the strategic and tactical part which helps us a lot. I last played doubles with Manav Thakkar in 2022. But I had good results with him last month. We won a medal in the Asian championship in 2021, but since 2022 we have not played much. It’s been almost two years. Lately, Manav partnered with Manush Shah on the WTT (World Table Tennis) Tour. And I have focused on singles.
Manav has improved a lot in singles and doubles. And it will take some time to get used to each other again. But we are practicing doubles. We try with different partners because we have a healthy number of sparing partners in the camp, and we will also get to play a couple of tournaments before Paris and get to know each other. We will have enough match practice for the Olympics.
How does it feel to compete in the Olympics in singles as well as team events?
It’s a special feeling, of course, and every athlete wants to represent their country at the Olympics. It’s been 24-25 years since I started playing table tennis. So, of course I want to represent my country, and playing singles this time will be the cherry on top.
The last year or two has been good for me, be it domestically or Internationally. I would like to continue my form and aim to make a couple of upsets in the tournament.
What do you expect from the team in Paris? How is the team environment?
This is the first time that an Indian team (men and women) has qualified for the Olympics. We have beaten many top teams. For example, we beat Japan in the 2018 Asian Games for the bronze medal. If all three of us (Sharath, Manav & I) can play really good table tennis – Manav has been pretty consistent in the past – we should be able to reach the quarter finals, and if our form is good, we can also qualify. semifinals.
Now talk about your singles form. You got some good wins from the top 20 players, especially at the WTT Contender in Lagos in 2023 and the World team championship in February 2024. What aspects are you focusing on in the camp?
I try to make my power sharper and make it inconvenient for my opponent to play. My goal is to try and make some noise. The bigger goal is to focus more on my confidence and tactics going into the Olympics.
Can you shed more light on the camp?
We are working on doubles, as I said. Individually, I worked hard on my service return and first ball return. That will be the main thing in the high-pressure match in Paris.
How do you see the absence of Sathiyan in the team as he is the fourth member?
Some will be with us. As you know, he will go to Paris as a fourth player, but we have no choice to play him. We definitely miss Sathiyan. But as I said earlier, Manav has done well. He has consistently beaten top 100 players in the past. He played very well in Lebanon, and also many WTT competitors and Feeder tournaments. I am very optimistic that we can make an impact in Paris.
Before that, there was a controversy about personal and official coaches during the National camp. What do you think?
I have managed well because now there is a personal trainer in the camp. Aman Balgu (Manika Batra’s personal trainer) and Somnath Ghosh (Sreeja Akula’s personal trainer) were in the camp. So, there is a personal trainer and the balance is well adjusted. In the end, it was Max who called the shots.
The Indian team made its debut in Paris. What does this mean for players of this generation and beyond?
For the first time two Indian athletes have almost made it to the Top 40 in the women’s section. For the first time in history, we have four male players almost in the top 60 (the fourth player Sathiyan is now 70) of the world ranking. This achievement will help the sport grow and attract more youngsters. There are many good things happening: there is a UTT league and the support we get from the State Government, Khelo India, and the TOPS scheme. Many companies are coming to the sport. I think there is scope for growth.
Sharath Kamal has been leading the team for more than a decade. He will be participating in his fifth Olympics. Do you see him more as a competitor or as a mentor. How is your relationship with the veteran rowers?
When we were on the team, I didn’t think of him as a competitor. It is quite inspiring and also there are many things we can learn from him even when we are practicing. It’s great that he was able to share his experience. It is important to support and help each other, and learn from each other. That is my point of view.
This is your debut Olympics. Are you feeling the pressure?
Not. Playing the Olympics is very special for every athlete because they represent their country. But I have played three Commonwealth Games, one Asian Games, and three Asian championships. So, this is not new to me. Representing the country in the Olympics has been my dream. I just want to go there and play my best and bring laurels to the country.
What are your immediate thoughts on the Olympics?
I just want to go out, play freely and play the best game the best way I can. If I can make a couple of upsets in the singles event because our matches start with the singles followed by the team event. I want to go far in the main singles event and if, if I can do that, it will give me a lot of confidence for the team event, and I hope that we can make it to the quarterfinals of the men’s team. This will set the benchmark for the next Olympics.
