Sports psychologist has been of immense help, says paddler Harmeet

CWG gold medallist Harmeet Desai explains how Gayatri Vartak’s involvement in the set-up has helped India retain its first table tennis gold

Less than a year since tying the knot with fellow paddler Krittwika Sinha-Roy and joining the long list of table tennis couples in India, Harmeet Desai proved in Birmingham on Tuesday that the wedding bells have been far from being a distraction.

Harmeet played a pivotal role in India trouncing Singapore 3-1 in the table tennis team championship of the Commonwealth Games and retain its gold medal from Gold Coast. It was the first time India successfully defended a table tennis gold medal at the Friendly Games.

In a chat with The Hindu from Birmingham, Harmeet elaborated on the achievement, the preparation, how sports psychologist Gayatri Vartak’s involvement in the set-up has helped him over the last few months and how Krittwika was more confident of him winning the gold than himself. 

Excerpts:

What does playing a crucial role in defending the gold mean to you personally?

It means a lot to have played such a good match at such an important time. Definitely this time, the pressure was much more than the last time because we were the defending champions and India had never defended a gold in Commonwealth Games table tennis, so it was much more pressure. But I was prepared for it. I was ready to play the fourth singles. The doubles helped me a lot. We started off well, I was in good flow and in the doubles itself I felt I was moving really well. I could continue it in the singles and it turned out to be really good.

What did the four of you discuss in the first team meeting in Birmingham?