Sankalp reaches finals of state TT C’ships

Deepkamal Kaur

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 25

Sixteen-year-old Sankalp has lived up to the billing by reaching the finals of the state table tennis championships in the U-18 category held at the Hansraj stadium here.

His game had already been reflecting all the positives as he came into the tournament on back of winning prizes in all three categories during the recently concluded district championships at the same venue. A Class XI student at La Blossoms School, Sankalp was the winner in the youth boys’ category, competed in the men’s category ending as a runner-up at the district level. In junior boys, however, he trailed as a semifinalist.

Sankalp had been preparing for the tournament, which began on Thursday, for a while now. Running hot, he has his eyes set on the glory. Nothing less than that shall do for him. “Since top four players in the district category can participate, I will be playing in all three categories. I want to give my best this time. Last year, I had participated in the junior category in the state championships and came second. I want to improve my overall performance this year,” he says.

A resident of Shiv Nagar here, he shares: “I am maintaining a fixed routine for the past four years. I wake up at 5:30 am and go for cycling to the Old Baradari park. There, I run long distances between 6 am to 7 am to improve my stamina. I go for running again in the evening from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. In the daytime, I practice at the stadium under the guidance of coach Manish Bhardwaj. I have also taken training from Vaneet Chopra, chief manager, SBI, who has really helped me improve my game.”

Asked how he was coping with his studies, Sankalp says: “My elder sister, who is doing BSc (economics), helps me with my studies.”

Sankalp’s father Manish Kashyap said: “I, too, have been a table tennis player. I played national championship in Goa in 1984. I was in a marketing job and left the game. Seeing my son’s interest in the game, I made him take proper coaching. I have also left my job and am now run a canteen on contract at the stadium itself, so that I can take care of my son.” He, too, has his fingers crossed for the upcoming finals, scheduled for tomorrow.