Sathiyan Gnanasekaran did not have the greatest of outing in the highly competitive Japanese T-League while representing his club Okayama Rivets, but the ace paddler is pleased to have rubbed shoulders with some of the best in the business.
Sathiyan Gnanasekaran.
Chennai: Chennai-based Sathiyan, the first Indian to compete in the T-League, came up trumps in only two of his eight matches during his one-month stay in Japan. “I didn’t win many matches, but it was a great learning curve for me,” Sathiyan, currently in quarantine after landing in the city on Wednesday, told DT Next.
“I had to spend the first 14 days in Japan in quarantine. On those days, I could train only for a couple of hours. And then immediately, the matches started. I played five singles and three doubles matches. I managed to win two of them – one each in singles and doubles. As most of the players are better ranked, the singles victory was an upset,” he explained.
Sathiyan, who also had a spell with Sokolow SA Jaroslaw in the Polish Superliga a couple of months back, said that he had an amazing yet challenging experience in the T-League. “Prior to my stint in Japan, I had never been a part of such a high-standard league. I would say that it was a dream come true moment,” added the 27-year-old. “The players in the league are supremely talented. I had the opportunity to train and play with some top players. I learnt a lot from them. The players shared their ideas and I got to know how they prepare for matches. In this COVID-19 pandemic period, playing there was highly beneficial,” said Sathiyan.
By signing up for a club in the Japanese league, Sathiyan also got a good taste of Tokyo, the host city of the rescheduled Olympic Games. “Prior to landing in Japan, I was not really in the Olympics mood. Once I reached there, I got goosebumps as Tokyo is getting ready for the event. And, my energy levels increased. I went to the Marine Park, where the giant Olympic Rings are placed,” revealed Sathiyan.
“I had to spend the first 14 days in Japan in quarantine. On those days, I could train only for a couple of hours. And then immediately, the matches started. I played five singles and three doubles matches. I managed to win two of them – one each in singles and doubles. As most of the players are better ranked, the singles victory was an upset,” he explained.
Sathiyan, who also had a spell with Sokolow SA Jaroslaw in the Polish Superliga a couple of months back, said that he had an amazing yet challenging experience in the T-League. “Prior to my stint in Japan, I had never been a part of such a high-standard league. I would say that it was a dream come true moment,” added the 27-year-old. “The players in the league are supremely talented. I had the opportunity to train and play with some top players. I learnt a lot from them. The players shared their ideas and I got to know how they prepare for matches. In this COVID-19 pandemic period, playing there was highly beneficial,” said Sathiyan.
By signing up for a club in the Japanese league, Sathiyan also got a good taste of Tokyo, the host city of the rescheduled Olympic Games. “Prior to landing in Japan, I was not really in the Olympics mood. Once I reached there, I got goosebumps as Tokyo is getting ready for the event. And, my energy levels increased. I went to the Marine Park, where the giant Olympic Rings are placed,” revealed Sathiyan.
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