playing table tennis
Everything that I learnt within the four walls of my school and my home prepared me, yet pales in comparison to what I have learnt outdoors - be it on wheels, in water or at the table. I was a great swimmer in primary school, and later on pursued Table Tennis.
Table tennis played a huge role in shaping my personality. I started as a hobby in a nearby sports complex under the guidance of Dhananjay sir; my coach who shaped my thinking and focus. I owe a lot to this coach who taught me to never give up no matter what happens in life.
Over the next five years, I went through various coaches to master this sport. This gave immense exposure by representing school, districts, and state travelling across multiple cities. I still remember my first challenge as an 11 year nervous girl told to play under 18 category due to unexpected circumstances. But sheer determination played out our complacent opponents winning the title at Zila Parishad level advancing to district level in Solapur. I was super excited for my first ever trip out of Pune for table tennis. Though we lost districts, the failure was a great experience.
As expertise grew, I started winning more in the next two years and going to various cities for tournaments. One of my life changing experiences was going to Chandrapur during 7th grade and playing among the best players. Another life changing event was when I went to Mumbai where I played my first state level tournament. The fun part was that this state level tournament was during my final exams, but due to immense support from my school and parents, I was able to give the exam later on. The success in past tournaments had strengthened my sense of belief and was ready for the big stage. Unfortunately I lost the finals so could not play the nationals but made amazing friends who guided me throughout.
One of my best performances is still fresh in my mind where I was down one set in one of the district tournaments in Pune in my seventh grade against a girl who had a good past record against me so there was some mental blockage. Thanks to Dhananjay Sir ( referred above) whose pep talk reignited self-belief during time out in the match and I happened to win the match after a tough fight. From that moment, I learnt that anything is possible, all you need is a little push to work harder.
I have always believed that playing table tennis. It improves focus significantly as it is one of the fastest games in the world. Reflexes, alertness and constant determination always keeps you in the current moment and makes you mentally stronger with a great immune system. Playing doubles helped to work in teams for better coordination. Overall I am really happy that I got to learn this brilliant sport and I am looking forward to learning so much more in the future.