A Bold New World

Clearly, India’s sportspersons are getting more confident. This shows in the country’s best­ever medal tally at the Asian Games.

- Stan Rayan​​​​​​

Talking to table tennis star G. Sathiyan in Jakarta the other day, one could notice a brand new confidence in our athletes.

“There are a lot of things happening; the Chinese are not invincible any more,” said the 25­year­old from Chennai who played a big part in India jolting Japan in the men’s team quarterfinals that brought the country its first ever table tennis medal – a bronze – at the Asian Games.

“Of course, China is still a major force, still one level up, not only to India but to the entire world. If you take the No.2, Japan, they also feel China is still one level up. We are one level below Japan, but we have also started beating the Chinese here and there; they are also losing to the Japanese.”

Sathiyan sees the Jakarta show as the start of something big for the country in table tennis, which could turn out to be a dream story like badminton, where India is now a major force in the world.

Confidence boost

Boxer Amit Panghal did not allow Has­-an boy Dusmatov’s massive reputation to worry him in their 49kg final. Not only was Dusmatov the Olympic champion, he was also adjudged as the best boxer in Rio.

That would have turned many to jelly, but Panghal probably did not know what that meant. The 22- year-­old pugilist was on level terms with the Uzbek and when it came to the decider, the final round after the two had shared the honours in the first two, the Indian appeared mentally stronger.

Panghal had been the silver medallist at the recent Commonwealth Games and he knew that the Asian Games gold would change his life. “When someone wins gold, his life certainly changes. Mine will also change,” said Panghal, the son of a farmer.

Women on a high