"Semifinals possible if we play really well" - Harmeet Desai upbeat about chances in men's table tennis team event ahead of Paris Olympics
Harmeet Desai is upbeat about the chances of the Indian men's table tennis team ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics. Describing himself as the "middle-aged" player alongside the experienced Sharath Kamal and young Manav Thakkar, Harmeet reasoned that the balance of the team along with their recent good form could result in a semifinal spot.
The paddler from Gujarat reckons that the team's results in the Asian Championships and the WTT Contender events augur well for the side ahead of the Olympics.
Harmeet Desai opined that the Indians would do better in the team event than the individual events given the recent good form of the trio.
"There are two events that I will be participating in - men's singles and men's team. Realistically speaking, we have better chances in the men's team event because we have a quite balanced team. We have the experienced Sharath Kamal, we have a young Manav Thakkar and I'm in the middle of both, I'm middle-aged," Harmeet stated.
"So yeah, the three of us have been in good form and we have had good doubles results, me and Manav Thakkar, in the past in the Asian Championship and the WTT Contenders," he added.
The Indians won bronze in the men's team event at the 2023 Asian Championships held in South Korea. Upset victories over fancied sides have also served to boost the morale of the Indians.
"In the team events, we have had some upsets in the past, beating the likes of Japan and France, the top-ranked teams in the world. So definitely on a given day, if the three of us can put up a good show, display good form on a particular day, definitely it's possible to beat good teams like Portugal or maybe Japan," Harmeet Desai figured.
"The team events start from the round of 16, like pre-quarters. So, winning one or two matches would result in a really good tournament for Indian table tennis. I think there is a realistic chance for us to reach the quarterfinals which would be the first step. But definitely, if we can play really well, a semi-final is also possible," he predicted.
The table tennis team events in Paris will begin on August 5 after the completion of the individual events.
"The game has given me a lot, I met my wife because of table tennis" - Harmeet Desai
Looking back at his career, Harmeet Desai stated unequivocally that table tennis had given him much more than he ever expected. The Surat-born player also explained how the game widened his horizons in the long run.
"I had never thought that I would be able to achieve so much from table tennis. I'm really grateful for whatever I have got in life from the game. Also, I have learned so many lessons. I have been to different parts of the world - to more than 50 countries which I have visited just because of table tennis," the 31-year-old revealed.
Most importantly for Harmeet Desai, the fact that he met his wife because of table tennis is reason enough for him to be grateful to have played the sport.
"So I've made friends. I have known people. I have known different cultures. And it has made me a better person. I met my wife because of table tennis. So table tennis has given me a lot more than I had expected or I had even thought of," he stated.
Catapulted into the international sporting arena after having taken to the sport out of sheer interest, Harmeet Desai kept raising the bar even as his achievements grew.
"Slowly and gradually, I wanted to be number one in the state and then at the Nationals. So I never thought that I could reach so far in the senior category too and that I would be able to represent India in the Olympics. So definitely, when you achieve something, there are more goals in your mind that you want to achieve," said Harmeet as he turned the clock back.
"Because when I started playing table tennis, it was just out of interest. In some time, it turned out to be my passion. And I wanted to continue it. My parents supported me a lot," he disclosed.
Harmeet Desai who is married to table tennis player Krittwika Sinha Roy did, however, stress that there was a lot more left to do including climbing the world rankings and winning more medals for India.
"I would definitely like to do more and climb the world rankings, to win more medals for the country. Definitely, one of the things would be to win a medal in the Olympics. That would be the dream and a world championship win as well," said Harmeet who recently played the Lagos WTT.
For now, though, Harmeet Desai has his sights set firmly on the events that begin at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles on Saturday, July 27.