India may not be a powerhouse in table tennis, but it has been on the rise in the last few years as the young players have started to make their mark. In recent years, India, led by Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, has been on the rise, but is nowhere closer to breaking the deadlock at the Olympics, as China dominates table tennis. However, Massimo Costantini, one of the legendary names in table tennis, has backed India to break the duck, highlighting a key area of interest.<h2>Massimo Costantini underlines key factor</h2>In an exclusive conversation with WION’s Aditya Pimpale, Costantini opened up on how important it is for India to groom young players. He believes India needs strong and good competitiveness if it is to achieve success at the Olympic level. He also believes India is going in the right direction like China, Japan, Korea and more.&nbsp;Question: Why is it important to have younger age categories, like U13, U15, U19 and more? Also, how important is it to nurture and make these raw talents work?&nbsp;Yes, previously there were two categories – cadet and junior. Since I have taken charge of the side, I have overseen major changes with the launch of different categories in junior categories. The gap between cadets and juniors was too much, so competitiveness was not fair at that time. So I said Why don’t we create categories every two years and now we are getting the rewards.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/meet-indians-to-score-most-runs-in-each-of-last-5-t20-world-cups-ft-virat-kohli-kl-rahul-rohit-sharma-2026-t20-world-cup-1768479871185">Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli</a>&nbsp;Question: What should be India’s approach for the future of table tennis if we are to challenge the big ones?&nbsp;Whatever we do now is an investment for tomorrow. Today we have to focus on tomorrow, and this is what other countries don't do. So, whether it's grassroots or coaches or the entire system rotating around one target and that is the Olympic. We need to create a proper infrastructure and the training environment, system and coaches.&nbsp;ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-chris-gayle-to-brendon-mccullum-5-batters-to-score-fastest-t20-world-cup-hundreds-rilee-rossouw-ahmed-shehzad-1768553361691">From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds</a>&nbsp;Question: When you first came in 2010, you voiced the need for coaching the coaches. Now, when you are back after 15 years, do you think that the current table tennis ecosystem and the coaching aspect have improved in India in 2010?&nbsp;Yes, of course, it has improved. Consider that several players from 2010 today are coaches. And I don't think players from 2010, 10 years before, are still coaching. I don't know, maybe one or two. But now we have good coaches around. Saurav Chakraborty is one of the national coaches traveling with me. And he was not even in the Commonwealth Games. In the last match, he was out. Overall, the system is improving and this is where we need a good gardener.

In an exclusive conversation with WION’s Aditya Pimpale, Massimo Costantini opened up on how important it is for India to groom young players. He believes India needs strong and good competitiveness if it is to achieve success at the Olympic level.

India may not be a powerhouse in table tennis, but it has been on the rise in the last few years as the young players have started to make their mark. In recent years, India, led by Sharath Kamal and Manika Batra, has been on the rise, but is nowhere closer to breaking the deadlock at the Olympics, as China dominates table tennis. However, Massimo Costantini, one of the legendary names in table tennis, has backed India to break the duck, highlighting a key area of interest. Massimo Costantini underlines key factor In an exclusive conversation with WION’s Aditya Pimpale, Costantini opened up on how important it is for India to groom young players. He believes India needs strong and good competitiveness if it is to achieve success at the Olympic level. He also believes India is going in the right direction like China, Japan, Korea and more. Question: Why is it important to have younger age categories, like U13, U15, U19 and more? Also, how important is it to nurture and make these raw talents work? Yes, previously there were two categories – cadet and junior. Since I have taken charge of the side, I have overseen major changes with the launch of different categories in junior categories. The gap between cadets and juniors was too much, so competitiveness was not fair at that time. So I said Why don’t we create categories every two years and now we are getting the rewards. ALSO READ | Meet Indians to score most runs in each of last 5 T20 World Cups ft Virat Kohli Question: What should be India’s approach for the future of table tennis if we are to challenge the big ones? Whatever we do now is an investment for tomorrow. Today we have to focus on tomorrow, and this is what other countries don't do. So, whether it's grassroots or coaches or the entire system rotating around one target and that is the Olympic. We need to create a proper infrastructure and the training environment, system and coaches. ALSO READ | From Chris Gayle to Brendon McCullum, 5 batters to score fastest T20 World Cup hundreds Question: When you first came in 2010, you voiced the need for coaching the coaches. Now, when you are back after 15 years, do you think that the current table tennis ecosystem and the coaching aspect have improved in India in 2010? Yes, of course, it has improved. Consider that several players from 2010 today are coaches. And I don't think players from 2010, 10 years before, are still coaching. I don't know, maybe one or two. But now we have good coaches around. Saurav Chakraborty is one of the national coaches traveling with me. And he was not even in the Commonwealth Games. In the last match, he was out. Overall, the system is improving and this is where we need a good gardener.

In an exclusive conversation with WION’s Aditya Pimpale, Massimo Costantini opened up on how important it is for India to groom young players. He believes India needs strong and good competitiveness if it is to achieve success at the Olympic level.

Exclusive: Massimo Costantini underlines key factor as India looks to break Chinese dominance in table tennis

Following the success of youth football tournaments in India, a premier U-15 table tennis championship is set to make its debut.
The tournament will feature 30 male and 30 female players from across India, selected based on their national rankings. It will provide a platform for young paddlers between 11-14 years to showcase their talent and gain competitive experience. In a bid to offer early international exposure, the championship will also welcome 12 athletes from six international federations&mdash;Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan.
Highlighting the importance of global exposure, the event aims to enhance athlete development by offering opportunities to compete against international players. The tournament also focuses on fostering best practices through expert-led workshops and masterclasses. The Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis 2025, supported by the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/table-tennis-federation-of-india">Table Tennis Federation of India</a> (TTFI), will be held from March 17 to 22 at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai.
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<h2>Sharath, Massimo to be mentors</h2>
Indian table tennis icon <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/sharath-kamal">Sharath Kamal</a>, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sreeja Akula, and Indian National Team Coach <a href="https://www.wionews.com/tags/massimo-costantini" rel="dofollow">Massimo Costantini</a> will lead sessions alongside elite coaches Chris Pfeiffer and Deepak Malik. These sessions will cover areas like sports science, game strategy, fitness, and technology-driven performance analysis.
Kamlesh Mehta, general secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India, emphasised the importance of this initiative, saying, "This championship is a significant step in creating a platform for India&rsquo;s future table tennis stars. Competing with both national and international talent will help young athletes develop their skills, while expert-led masterclasses and analytics-based interventions will further support their growth."
The championship will unfold in a structured format, including group stages, super league, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Players will be grouped into six pools per category, with each group featuring an international athlete.

Sports: The tournament will feature 30 male and 30 female players from pan India, selected based on their national rankings. It will also see 12 athletes from six international federations

Following the success of youth football tournaments in India, a premier U-15 table tennis championship is set to make its debut. The tournament will feature 30 male and 30 female players from across India, selected based on their national rankings. It will provide a platform for young paddlers between 11-14 years to showcase their talent and gain competitive experience. In a bid to offer early international exposure, the championship will also welcome 12 athletes from six international federations—Sweden, Australia, Malaysia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, and Kazakhstan. Highlighting the importance of global exposure, the event aims to enhance athlete development by offering opportunities to compete against international players. The tournament also focuses on fostering best practices through expert-led workshops and masterclasses. The Dream Sports Championship Table Tennis 2025, supported by the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), will be held from March 17 to 22 at Jawaharlal Nehru Indoor Stadium in Chennai. Also Read: Formula 1: Lando Norris holds off Max Verstappen to win rain-hit Australian Grand Prix Sharath, Massimo to be mentors Indian table tennis icon Sharath Kamal, Commonwealth Games gold medallist Sreeja Akula, and Indian National Team Coach Massimo Costantini will lead sessions alongside elite coaches Chris Pfeiffer and Deepak Malik. These sessions will cover areas like sports science, game strategy, fitness, and technology-driven performance analysis. Kamlesh Mehta, general secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India, emphasised the importance of this initiative, saying, "This championship is a significant step in creating a platform for India’s future table tennis stars. Competing with both national and international talent will help young athletes develop their skills, while expert-led masterclasses and analytics-based interventions will further support their growth." The championship will unfold in a structured format, including group stages, super league, quarter-finals, semi-finals, and finals. Players will be grouped into six pools per category, with each group featuring an international athlete.

U-15 table tennis championship to feature India’s top young players, global talent

India will compete in the men's and women's table tennis team event at the Olympics for the first time at the Paris Games after climbing into the top 16 in the rankings, but coach Massimo Costantini is still not satisfied.

India's table tennis team have had some success at the Commonwealth Games but have failed to match that at the Olympics and Asian Games.

However, their qualification for the team events, introduced in 2008, has renewed hopes of a first-ever Olympic medal in the sport, with the Indian men's team ranked 14th in the world as of July, while the women's team was 11th.

"I think making the team event is already a big achievement, because being in the top 16 in the world is not easy," Costantini told Reuters. "But for me it's (the rankings) too close, like wearing clothes that are too tight. You're not comfortable, you need to be comfortable to perform as required.

"My goal is to not to fight at the last minute to make the top 16, but to be in the top 10, top eight, or even top four. To not even have the doubt whether India will play in the team events at the Olympics or not."

ALSO READ:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/leander-paes-vijay-amritraj-create-history-by-joining-international-tennis-hall-of-fame-742735">Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj create history by joining International Tennis Hall of Fame</a>

One of India's leading prospects at the Olympics will be 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Manika Batra, who broke into the top 25 this year and achieved a career-high ranking of 24 after her victory at the Saudi Smash in May.

Batra (ranked 28) and Sreeja Akula (ranked 25), are among the women leading India's charge up the rankings.

"We have to be consistent in taking opportunities. We don't want just sporadic occasional results that make us climb the world ranking. We need more stability," Costantini said.

"Manika was up there for almost one year, hovering between 35 and 38. She was maintaining her performances quite well, and then one competition helped her make that jump. The women have had great results, they did well. But we can do much better."

The Italian coach added that he has been using data provided by artificial intelligence to improve his players, with the team partnering up with Indian sports analytics company Stupa Sports Analytics for a training camp.

"Technology and AI can help have a better understanding of performance. Sometimes the words of the coach are not enough," added Costantini, who returned to the Indian table tennis set up for a third stint this year.

"Besides the words we can have something objective. You can think you played well, but through these reports and data, you know you actually were just okay, or you think you played horrible and actually were very, very good.

"We're just making little adjustments, like they do in motorsport, where small details can reduce the time maybe by one millisecond. In table tennis, it is exactly the same."

The Olympic table tennis tournament will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 27 to Aug. 10.

India will compete in the men's and women's table tennis team event at the Olympics for the first time at the Paris Games after climbing into the top 16 in the rankings, but coach Massimo Costantini is still not satisfied.

India will compete in the men's and women's table tennis team event at the Olympics for the first time at the Paris Games after climbing into the top 16 in the rankings, but coach Massimo Costantini is still not satisfied. India's table tennis team have had some success at the Commonwealth Games but have failed to match that at the Olympics and Asian Games. However, their qualification for the team events, introduced in 2008, has renewed hopes of a first-ever Olympic medal in the sport, with the Indian men's team ranked 14th in the world as of July, while the women's team was 11th. "I think making the team event is already a big achievement, because being in the top 16 in the world is not easy," Costantini told Reuters. "But for me it's (the rankings) too close, like wearing clothes that are too tight. You're not comfortable, you need to be comfortable to perform as required. "My goal is to not to fight at the last minute to make the top 16, but to be in the top 10, top eight, or even top four. To not even have the doubt whether India will play in the team events at the Olympics or not." ALSO READ: Leander Paes, Vijay Amritraj create history by joining International Tennis Hall of Fame One of India's leading prospects at the Olympics will be 2018 Commonwealth Games champion Manika Batra, who broke into the top 25 this year and achieved a career-high ranking of 24 after her victory at the Saudi Smash in May. Batra (ranked 28) and Sreeja Akula (ranked 25), are among the women leading India's charge up the rankings. "We have to be consistent in taking opportunities. We don't want just sporadic occasional results that make us climb the world ranking. We need more stability," Costantini said. "Manika was up there for almost one year, hovering between 35 and 38. She was maintaining her performances quite well, and then one competition helped her make that jump. The women have had great results, they did well. But we can do much better." The Italian coach added that he has been using data provided by artificial intelligence to improve his players, with the team partnering up with Indian sports analytics company Stupa Sports Analytics for a training camp. "Technology and AI can help have a better understanding of performance. Sometimes the words of the coach are not enough," added Costantini, who returned to the Indian table tennis set up for a third stint this year. "Besides the words we can have something objective. You can think you played well, but through these reports and data, you know you actually were just okay, or you think you played horrible and actually were very, very good. "We're just making little adjustments, like they do in motorsport, where small details can reduce the time maybe by one millisecond. In table tennis, it is exactly the same." The Olympic table tennis tournament will take place at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles from July 27 to Aug. 10.

‘My goal is to be in top four’ – India's Table Tennis coach unsatisfied with mere ‘Olympic qualification’