Table Tennis: New coach Dejan Papic to begin stint with team from July

Though the Sports Authority of India provisionally agreed to the terms of new coach Dejan Papic in March, he is expected to join the team only next month.

Table Tennis coach Dejan Papic will be with the Indian team till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

There has been quite a considerable delay not just in the appointment of Dejan Papic, foreign coach of the senior Indian table tennis teams (men  & women), but also as to when he will officially join the team. The Sports Authority of India provisionally agreed to the Canadian’s terms in March this year, but is yet to appoint him officially. He, however, was with the Indian team at the World individual championships in Budapest as an “official” where he did interact with all the senior Indian male and female players. It is reliably learnt that Papic will be in New Delhi in the first week of July. He is likely to go to Patiala for the routine medical check.

There will be not much time for him to rest. At home, Papic’s first assignment will be the Commonwealth table tennis championships in Cuttack, Odisha from July 17 to 22.

Before that, he will head to Geelong for the Australian Open from July 9 to 14. 

Papic will be with the Indian team till the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but Table Tennis Federation of India is considering extending his contract. “We have been hearing that he [Papic] will join the team for a while now. First, let him come,” said an Indian paddler.