Sahasrabuddhe: reason to be proud

Athletes usually sulk after going through a “so-near-yet-so-far” moment. But Pooja Sahasrabuddhe is different.

The paddler was obviously aghast after failing to convert two match points against Manika Batra in the women’s singles final of the Senior National table tennis championship, which concluded in Hyderabad on Sunday.

However, she recovered within minutes after the final and revelled in her best outing in the senior Nationals so far.

“Obviously I was disappointed. To have first saved three match points and then getting the opportunity to be the National champion, it was disheartening,” Sahasrabuddhe told The Hindu from Pune, where she has moved from Thane after getting married to fellow table tennis player Aniket Koparkar last year.

“But the moment I stepped out of the arena, I saw (G) Sathiyan. He was so calm and relaxed and enjoying the moment and I thought to myself if someone who has failed to cross the line in the final for two successive times, there is no reason for me to be disgruntled.”

Sahasrabuddhe had every reason to be proud of her achievement. After all, ever since being a part of Maharashtra B’s bronze medal-winning squad during her maiden senior nationals in 2005-06 as a teenager, the last week in Hyderabad was her most successful outing in the last 10 editions.

Besides the silver medal in singles, the member of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board’s (PSPB’s) gold medal-winning squad in women’s team championship, Sahasrabuddhe also bagged the mixed doubles gold medal, partnering Harmeet Desai.

Destiny’s play The two gold medals may come across as a soothing balm for the wasted opportunity in the singles final.

Had she converted any of the two match points at 11-10 and 12-11 in the deciding seventh game, she would have become the first woman paddler from Maharashtra in 24 years to be crowned the singles champion. Niyati Roy-Shah did it for the State in the same year in which Sahasrabuddhe was born.

But the 24-year-old shrugs it off. “I think I was not destined to win it this year. Let’s hope I can do it next year,” said Sahasrabuddhe, who entered the tournament as the sixth seed.

“I had already had my share of luck in the quarterfinals when I managed to save a match point.” In the round of eight, Sahasrabuddhe trailed T. Reeth Rishya of Tamil Nadu 3-1.

Bouncing back Later in the sixth game, she was down a match point but bounced back not just to win the match but also overhaul her PSPB and Thane senior Madhurika Patkar in the semifinals.

Sahasrabuddhe cannot thank her husband Aniket enough for flying down to Hyderabad since “he was the brain behind all the comebacks”. But more importantly, Sahasrabuddhe thanks her Boosters Club coach Shailaja Gohad.

“Miss”, as she is fondly referred to in the fraternity, Shailaja has moulded a host of national and international table tennis players, especially girls, from her Thane academy over the last two decades.

Though Shailaja didn’t travel to Hyderabad, Sahasrabuddhe sought her advice before every major match.

“Since the pre-quarterfinal, before and after every match, I had a long chat with Miss to discuss every opponent’s weak point. That has always been the case whenever she is not on the road with me,” Sahasrabuddhe said.

Ever since moving to Pune from Thane, Sahasrabuddhe has had to readjust her training schedule.

With the table tennis activity in Pune, once the den of Maharashtra table tennis, shrinking with every passing year, Sahasrabuddhe had to readjust her off-season preparations.

She acknowledges the help from her husband, a former national youth champion who has stopped playing competitive table tennis, and former State champion Rohit Chaudhari for training with her.

The Sahasrabuddhe factfile