Italian coach Massimo Costantini returns for his third stint as Indian desk tennis coach. The 66-year-old, who coached India from 2009 to 2010 and from 2016 to 2018, is a confirmed achiever as he oversaw India successful a document eight medals on the 2018 Commonwealth Video games and two bronze medals on the 2018 Asian Video games.
What are a number of the main modifications you’ve seen in gamers since your final stint ended right here in 2018?
Massimo Costantini: I’ve seen very seen modifications in most gamers. I’ve been following all of the gamers in my function on the ITTF (Worldwide Desk Tennis Federation). I had been monitoring them. There’s a degree of maturity amongst them that was not there earlier than. Maturity and duty had been missing. You may argue that they’re older now however even the youthful gamers which are coming by way of the ranks are extra accountable. Thoughts you, they didn’t have a head coach for six years. That’s a very long time. For some purpose, no coaches got here. So the gamers received far more accountable and began doing issues on their very own.
It’s not simply the gamers which have improved however the entire desk tennis ecosystem has grow to be higher. The Desk Tennis Federation of India (TTFI) with Kamlesh Mehta (common secretary) on the helm has grow to be way more skilled. Even the federal government with the Sports activities Authority of India (SAI) is dedicated to creating issues occur. Fairly frankly, it wasn’t like this in my earlier two stints. There’s a widespread drive to make India a number one sports activities nation and all of the stakeholders are extraordinarily dedicated. And that makes issues very straightforward for any coach.
One of many first stuff you’ve carried out is seeing that the Indian contingent (Olympic squad) travels as a workforce for World Desk Tennis (WTT) occasions. Is travelling as a workforce going to be a daily affair even after the Olympics?
Massimo Costantini: After all. it needs to be like this. I’ve mentioned earlier than that I would like India to be one of many high 4 international locations on the planet of desk tennis. We now have to behave like a workforce and the workforce is powerful after we are united. We could have nice particular person outcomes at tournaments and that’s a part of the dynamics. However when the workforce travels collectively, practices collectively, and prepare one another, it’s sure to assist. Perhaps we go as a workforce or with sure gamers however we have to be collectively.
We’ve seen at workforce tournaments just like the Asian Video games, the Commonwealth Video games, and the World Championships that the gamers are individually dedicated to serving to the workforce to do properly. I’ve the duty and dedication to steer this. Since everyone seems to be on the identical web page, I made a decision to return again. I genuinely consider that the game can actually be developed to an amazing extent right here and I wish to do my half.
Every of the highest gamers has particular person coaches who usually journey with them for competitions. Now for a head coach to return in, do you reckon there will probably be a sure resistance?
Massimo Costantini: We received’t be the primary nation to have this type of setup. So long as we’ve got a standard view. I’m very wonderful with that. The person coaches are usually not our opponents. If we begin pondering they’re our opponents, it’s going to injury the participant. Take a look at China and Japan. They’ve the identical scenario. Nations like Korea and Germany don’t have this setup and France have many coaches of their panel. What’s essential is that we’ve got a standard objective. We now have to provide you with some inside guidelines and we’re engaged on that.
India’s Paris workforce choice raised questions as Ayhika Mukherjee, who beat the Chinese language World No. 1 Solar Yingsha on the World Championships, wasn’t chosen within the workforce. Do you assume India missed a trick there by selecting Archana Kamath over Ayhika?
Massimo Costantini: The choice wasn’t primarily based on any selection. The factors and parameters had been outlined a yr earlier than. It was not a query of selection. The factors had been goal, not subjective. The Chinese language could also be extra terrified of Ayhika reasonably than Archana however the choice committee can’t assist that.
Take a look at Patrick Franziska. He’s Germany’s No. 1 participant however he didn’t make the reduce for Paris as a result of he achieved that rating after the choice came about. Think about the No. 1 participant within the nation isn’t a part of the workforce. He’s tremendous upset and who wouldn’t be, however even they had been clear that there was a standards outlined and the workforce was chosen accordingly. You probably have decided primarily based on standards, it’s like it’s. I’m sorry for Ayhika and G Sathiyan however I nonetheless want them. If we do properly, it is going to be due to them too.
Whereas qualifying in males’s and girls’s workforce occasions is a superb achievement in itself, what do the gamers want to take action that we will win a medal on the Olympics? What does somebody like Manika Batra and Sreeja Akula must work on?
Massimo Costantini: If I inform you, then the opponents will know (laughs). There are numerous areas to enhance. Manika reached new heights by getting into the top-25 and she or he has confirmed that she will be able to often beat gamers ranked larger than her. Perhaps step one is to constantly beat higher gamers. Successful occasionally doesn’t assist. In 30 matches, you beat common gamers and just one win in opposition to a top-10 participant then your enchancment is barely common. That should change for positive. We have to put together. Be tactically higher and have to be more practical and environment friendly. There are about 10-14 parameters for a desk tennis participant.
I typically give this analogy that it’s like a Components One automobile the place a small enchancment in a single element can provide you a bonus over your opponents. If due to that enchancment we’re capable of win a minimum of 2-3 factors further in each recreation, that’s going to make a giant enchancment.
Our ladies paddlers have raked up spectacular outcomes in opposition to high opponents. Using pimpled rubber has helped. What’s your tackle using pimples?
Massimo Costantini: I’ve at all times mentioned that pimples generally is a large shock. Utilizing rubbers with a unique model may cause a serious downside in opposition to gamers who use regular rubbers. The straightforward reality is that gamers who usually play with regular rubbers aren’t used to taking part in in opposition to pimples. It’s like, if there are 20 right-handed gamers practising, they may battle in opposition to a left-hander.
95% of the gamers play with the identical model. Then there are 5% of gamers who can change the rule of the rally by destabilising the way in which of the play. High gamers not having a behavior of taking part in with pimples is tactically a bonus for individuals who play with it.
The place Indian ladies made historical past be it on the Commonwealth Video games or the Asian Video games, it was as a result of we had an explosive mixture of gamers utilizing pimples. Now its significance is bigger as a result of the Chinese language are terrified of taking part in in opposition to pimples. The problem for us is to make use of it in another way. Take a look at how Wang Manyu misplaced to Manika at Saudi Smash. Manyu had crushed Manika only a week earlier in Macao however Manika was capable of change her recreation and beat her only a week later. She may accomplish that as a result of she switched up her play together with her defensive pimpled rubber.
Because you say that utilizing pimples generally is a large benefit, do you advocate kids begin taking part in with that rubber?
Massimo Costantini: I don’t assume {that a} participant beginning out ought to simply be advised to play with pimples. And so they shouldn’t use pimples simply to get outcomes both. Coaches on the grassroots must introduce the gamers to all types of rubbers and must see which fits them higher. Coaches want to search out out what the expertise tells them and never impose pimpled rubbers on kids.