Chennai's table tennis duo joins battle against COVID-19 as doctors

CHENNAI: Sportspersons have joined the fight against COVID-19. Many are contributing money and relief materials. Two table tennis players have chosen an unusual path though. They are helping the community in these difficult times as doctors. MBBS from different medical colleges, they are of the same batch and engaged in a common mission.

Meet KR Rohit and R Ke Yukti Roshni. The former is a student of Madras Medical College and the latter of Thanjavur Medical College. Both completed internship recently and have been given a one-month extension following the virus outbreak. Top spin and smash taking a back seat, they are committed to a different service. Both represented Tamil Nadu in table tennis at the national-level in junior competitions. Rohit played for India as well. “The number of cases are going up. There is a separate block which has been set up for testing and isolation. All of us are working round the clock. I was in the emergency ward last week. We are working in turns,” said Rohit, who is busy with activities at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital in Chennai.

“Please stay at home, avoid going out even to the hospitals for minor issues, and contact your family doctor over phone. We’re in the midst of community transmission. To prevent the situation faced by the western countries, we must take the lockdown seriously,” insisted Rohit, who represented India in the World Junior Championship in Hyderabad in 2013.

Roshni is from Chennai and posted at Thanjavur Medical College. The former national junior No 3 says she is proud to be doctor. She feels it’s an honour for her to be a part of this movement against coronavirus. Being a player, she is used to facing adversities and that experience may be playing a part as she continues this fight.

Lessons learnt in sport are coming in handy for both. Rohit even insists that sports is an education by itself. “The pressure that we go through during important matches helps overcome other situations. It helps in taking quick and crucial decisions as a professional,’’ said the former South Asian junior gold medallist.
Noted coach Christopher Anas praised his pupil Rohit. “He is a unique player, who represented India in the world junior meet. Even after joining medicine, he came to play in the senior state meet and beat fancied players. He was the school topper in the 10th standard. We were not surprised that he chose medicine.”

Although he wants to come back to table tennis some day, Rohit wants to pursue a post-graduate degree. “The urge to pick up the racquet is there. But I chose to give studies the priority for a while.”