Harmeet Desai’s parents (extreme left) celebrate with his friends at their home in Surat on Monday. (Express photo by Hanif Malek)
As 24-year-old Harmeet Desai won a gold for India in the table tennis men’s doubles match with his partner G Sathiyan, defeating the Nigerian team in the Commonwealth Games on Monday, visitors swarmed his Surat home to congratulate his family.
“We saw match with crossed fingers. When Harmeet and his teammate won, we jumped from our seats, unable to control our excitement,” Harmeet’s father Rajubhai Desai told The Indian Express,
The Indian team beat Nigerian players Olajide Omotayo and Bode Abiodun by 3-0.
Harmeet, a commerce graduate, first represented the Airport Authority of India and now plays for ONGC. His father said, “He started playing table tennis at the of six and has won over 300 medals at state level, national level and international level.”
Harmeet’s mother Archana Desai said, “His winning a gold medal in CWG is is like a dream come true. He had won several international medals but CWG has its own importance.”
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani also tweeted a congratulatory note for Desai and BJP MLA from Majura constituency Harsh Sanghavi and others visited his house to congratulate and meet his parents.
This is the first time since the racket sport’s induction into Commonwealth Games that India has won table tennis matches in both mens’ and womens’ categories.