Paris 2024 Olympics: India Table Tennis coach Constantini bats for consistency for success in the long run

Constantini looked forward to the Indian paddler’s good show in Los Angeles at the 2028 Games and said that India would look to get into the top eight in Asia in the next one-and-half years.

File photo: “We never played in the team competition in the Olympics. The first time we made the quarterfinals. I’m receiving congratulations from every part of the world for this achievement,” the Italian (left) said. | Photo Credit: K. Ananthan/The Hindu

Indian table tennis coach Massimo Constantini is delighted with the women’s team’s quarterfinal finish on its Olympics debut and wants the paddlers to be more consistent in order to make an impact at the top level.

Constantini looked forward to the Indian paddler’s good show in Los Angeles at the 2028 Games.

“We never played in the team competition in the Olympics. The first time we made the quarterfinals. I’m receiving congratulations from every part of the world for this achievement,” Constantini told Sportstar after the end of India’s campaign in Paris 2024 here.

“Overall, I’m very happy. When you play against an opponent that performs better (as is the case against Germany in the quarterfinals), you have only to congratulate and say good luck.”

Constantini was upbeat about the women’s potential. “We are building up a very solid and strong lineup of players. They all can perform at a very high level. Currently, we have five females in the top 100.

“Slowly, we are going to have a strong team on whom we can count in the future. We are No. 11 in the world as a team. I want the team to perform consistently in the Olympics. Not making it as a last spot. We have to be in the top eight within one-and-a-half years, and eventually (try) to reach the top four in (the next) two to three years.

“For the men, the situation is a little different. But still, we have players who have big potential. I’m talking about Manav Thakkar. Harmeet (Desai) is always a good player, he can have some ups and downs but I’m confident he can find a way to be consistent. Sathiyan (Gnanasekaran) proved to be really good. And the new generation is coming up. I’m confident of a bright future for India.

“We need to be there more often. Not once in a while. We still are in limbo. We can see the top, but easily we can slide down. We have to be consistent in a certain position, grab points and win some competitions because the winning mentality comes from winning, not losing.

“I’m confident that we will go there. Especially the men, they felt the missing guidance in terms of the head coach. Now this problem is solved, that I’m in India. And I’m really looking forward to great results.

For me, this Olympics was the warm-up. The real performance will come in 2028. That is my plan. And in between, we have so many things. Because we have the Commonwealth Games which is always important. Asian Games, and Asian Championships (are also there).

“In 2026 also we have the Youth Olympic Games. We have to prepare one good boy, one good girl. So we have so many things to prepare.”

The Italian hoped that his plans would help the players.

“What was missing, what was lacking before was a plan. So the players had to plan on their own – their activities, their training with the personal coaches and so on. My job is also to give a proper pathway for each member of the team. Or, let’s say the core of the team. The first top-six players. Maybe men and women and also consider the youth.”

Constantini said with continued support from all stakeholders he hoped “to make a difference in the next few years.”