Never be passive: Sreeja’s advice to young talent

India No.1 Sreeja Akula reflects on Paris Olympics lessons in a candid chat with teen prodigy Divyanshi Bhowmick; both laud Dream Sports Foundation for crucial support.

HYDERABAD: For someone who had come up a long way from the days when she started training in a single-room Global Table Tennis Academy in Naveen Nagar (Erramanzil) in the City under the tutelage of Somnath Ghosh, Sreeja Akula said her biggest lesson from the 2024 Paris Olympics was to never becoming passive when leading in a match.

“I was just trying to keep the ball on the table instead of playing aggressively. I’ve had several challenging matches that taught me different lessons. In the Commonwealth Games I was almost on the verge of losing my quarter-finals against Mo Zhang. I kept reminding myself to focus on each point, not the scoreline. Then, in the Paris Olympics against Sun Yingsha, I had a 10-5 lead in the first two games but the situation was completely different,” Sreeja explained in a chat with 15-year-old sensation Divyanshi Bhowmick, who won gold in at the Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis in March.

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“My advice to young athletes would be to believe in yourself, trust the process and your team, and keep pushing hard. Don’t get too focused on the final outcome, but concentrate on the process and try to improve each day,” is the 26-year-old Sreeja’s advice to the young talent.

Divyanshi, the Stanley’s Chennai Lions’ young TT player revealed how the pandemic sparked her table tennis journey, “We got a table for our house during lockdown and I’d spend the whole day practicing with my dad and sister. As I kept playing, I fell in love with the sport, and then I started winning,” she said.

Both Sreeja and Divyanshi spoke highly about the Dream Sports Foundation’s impact on their careers.

“The support came at exactly the right moment when I was seeking sponsorship… It wasn’t just financial help – they connected me with a dietician, mental trainer, and gave me exposure through international tournaments,” Sreeja, the two-time National champion said.

For her part, Divyanshi, who is preparing for the Asian championship, said her long-term goal was winning an Olympic medal for India and breaking into the world’s top 10.

“We’re putting in the work every single day,” she said and Sreeja chipped in with an encouraging response – with your style of play, you’ll definitely make it happen.

“Being disciplined on and off the court is crucial for me because you have to spend at least 2 hours a day maintaining your fitness. It’s also very important for preventing injuries,” said Sreeja, India No.1.

Divyanshi revealed that one of her dreams was to meet China’s world champion and Olympic gold medalist, Chen Meng.

And, Sreeja said that her coach Somnath Ghosh brought the most energy to practice sessions.