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Focussed and formidable
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By devoting more time to the sport, Akshi Sancheti could go places
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PHOTO : NAGARA GOPAL
Watch out for her Akshi Sancheti
Akshi Sancheti’s biggest asset could be her calm and composed demeanour.
She could be trailing or even on the verge of defeat, but her countenance is placid, with little emotion betrayed of anxiety or internal turmoil.
Her poise and patience could be derived from the Bharatanatyam training she receives regularly.
Her coach Telukunta Nagaraj believes Akshi is following in the footsteps of another protégé, Nikhat Banu, who has scaled several peaks in the world of table tennis. Like Banu, Akshi relies on a forehand attack, bolstered by backhand blocks and jabs from the pimpled blade of her racquet. Maduri Venugopal, who coaches her at the Gujarati Seva Mandal (GSM), recalled she wasn’t interested initially in the game but took it up on seeing her brother Jayesh and the siblings practised on the table they have at home. Akshi’s counter and kill game enabled her defeat almost all of the state’s sub-junior players. Both coaches are of the view that if Akshi spends more time on the game, she could really go places. Her individual abilities apart, Akshi has emerged as a formidable doubles player too, combining well with Vijayawada’s Spoorthi in the sub-junior and inter-state Nationals at Chennai last December. The duo emerged runner-up, not conceding a single game right upto the final. In singles, Akshi bowed out in the round of 16 to the eventual winner of the title.
The seventh standard student of Pallavi Model School had impressive standings in the state at the end of 2007, ranked second in the cadet girls category, No. 3 in junior girls and No. 4 in sub-junior girls. Akshi made it to seven finals of the nine tournaments she took part in the cadet section, while reaching the quarters and semi-finals of the higher age group competitions.
Akshi’s father Vipul Sancheti is indebted to the Andhra Pradesh Table Tennis Association Secretary S.M. Sultan and President P. Chenchu Ramaiah for their constant encouragement. Sultan has described the duo of Akshi and Spoorthi as the best combination in the country. He is grateful to coaches Nagaraj and Venugopal, who have showed unwavering zeal in sharpening his daughter’s skills as a paddler.
Akshi trains with Jishnu Vakharia mostly at the GSM, where the ambience is quite conducive for table tennis. Under the able guidance of Nagaraj and Venugopal, increased exposure through participation in more competitions and by devoting more time to the sport, she’s bound to make a mark on the national firmament too.
A. JOSEPH ANTONY
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