Snehit makes a big statement
The State paddler played a clinical game before he lost to eventual champion Sathiyan in the semifinals in Panchkula Nationals
That Hyderabad paddler SFR Snehit is growing in stature was evident in the recently-concluded UTT 82nd National Table Tennis Championship in Panchkula, Haryana where he stormed into the semifinals before losing to the World No. 36 and eventual champion G Sathiyan to be satisfied with first-ever bronze medal for the Telangana state.
In fact, there is something to cheer about in the State table tennis front. Snehit and Akula Sreeja clinched their first-ever bronze medals in the Nationals for the State. Sreeja became the first women’s player from the State to bag a bronze while Snehit is the third men’s player from the United Andhra Pradesh to do so after two-time Nationals champion Mir Khasim Ali and Dilip Raj Saxena.
For 20-year-old Snehit it is a big boost to his fledgling career. Reaching the semifinals and beating top flight players like Harmeet Desai is a big achievement. There is an air of confidence in Snehit. In fact, in the match against Sathyian, he had gained a good lead in the first game but inexperience let Snehit down. “I tried to experiment with a few shots and it failed me. By the time I realised my mistake, Sathiyan was back in the game,’’ said Snehit.
Like all other sports, the game of table tennis too was affected by the Covid-19 pandemic with hardly any tournaments being conducted. “It was one of the biggest challenges that we faced in the last one year although we did have practice sessions here with my coach Somnath Ghosh at the MLR academy. But I think the national camp in Sonepat did a world of good for me. I got to play with other top players of the country and that helped in gaining confidence. My game skills too improved,” said Snehit.
Snehit said he will focus on his defence and wants to improve his game while receiving the shots, particularly moving at the right positions and covering the angles. “Watching players like Kamal and Sathiyan is always a pleasure. They are world class and we get to learn the game from these class players. I could see the change in my approach to the game in the nationals,” he said.
Snehit pointed out that in the next few months he would look to play more international tournaments in future. “The tough international exposure is needed to improve your ranking in world table tennis.”
Meanwhile, coach Ghosh said Snehit is growing in confidence. “His backhand skills, power and fitness have improved in the last one year. Reaching the semifinals is a big achievement. We are looking for consistency in his performances and he should handle the pressure in the tight situations. That should be the key to his success in future. But I’m confident that Snehit has the game to excel in international tournaments.”
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