Ultimate Table Tennis: Sathiyan lauds Delhi Dabang’s ‘momentum of happiness’ as team eyes semifinal spot

Moments after Delhi Dabang TTC’s Sutirtha Mukherjee claimed the final game of the tie against Ahmedabad APL Pipers’ Manika Batra and the customary handshakes were done, Sutirtha and her teammates gathered in a semi-huddle. They leapt into the air, twisted mid-flight, landed with their feet planted wide apart and roared “Suiii” in unison — Cristiano Ronaldo’s trademark celebration that has become a global sporting phenomenon.Football fever, it seemed, had caught up with one of the most consistent teams in Ultimate Table Tennis. The celebration was the idea of youngster Raegan Albuquerque, an ardent Ronaldo fan.“It was Raegan’s idea to bring in that celebration. He being the full energetic, young guy in the team, we needed that young blood energy. It doesn’t matter if you are a Messi fan or a Ronaldo fan. Raegan insisted we should really do this celebration for Dabang Delhi. It has really worked really well for us,” captain G. Sathiyan told The Hindu.Celebrating Spain’s World Cup winThe timing could hardly have been better. With Spanish paddler Maria Xiao in the squad, her teammates had already been planning to celebrate Spain’s 1-0 victory over Argentina in the FIFA World Cup final in the early hours of Monday (July 20).By the end of the night, Delhi had another reason to rejoice after a 9-6 victory over Ahmedabad APL Pipers kept its semifinal hopes alive.“Maria was definitely really happy with Spain having won the World Cup. It showed up on the table as well. We went back to winning ways in the mixed doubles,” Sathiyan said with a smile. Sutirtha Mukherjee of Dabang Delhi T.T.C in action. File | Photo Credit: R. Parthibhan/UTT “If we can continue this momentum of happiness into the Playoffs as well, it would be really good. We will definitely take a small treat from Maria, but then come back and focus on our last league match.”Experience countsThe football celebrations, however, only told one part of the story. Earlier in the evening, Sathiyan had delivered one of his finest tactical performances of the season, blanking Payas Jain — a player who had enjoyed the better of him over the past two years.The veteran was quick to point out that experience still counts. “I certainly make sure no one has my number till I am there on the court. Yes, I did lose to Payas a couple of times, but this was always going to be about strategies. I worked hard with my coach (S.) Raman sir, and I kind of improved my fitness as well,” he said.“Today I was really sharp on the court, moving really well, and changed up a lot of things. A 3-0 win over Payas after losing the last two times was certainly a big booster.”Sathiyan’s tactical discipline was evident throughout the contest. Having recovered from 6-10 down to steal the opening game, he immediately switched to a more attacking approach in the second before maintaining relentless pressure in the third to complete a statement victory.Looking ahead to CTTC and Asian GamesThe table tennis calendar, though, offers little time to savour victories. Once the league concludes over the weekend, Sathiyan will head straight to New Delhi for the Commonwealth Table Tennis Championship (CTTC), India’s final major assignment before the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya in September-October.While the competition may not match the depth of the continental showpiece, Sathiyan believes CTTC’s value extends well beyond rankings and medals.“It’s really good to play as a team in such a major event. The team atmosphere will build up. We will also be playing the men’s doubles and mixed doubles with the same pairs that will compete in the Asian Games,” he said.“To have an event like this will be great preparation and help bring that team bonding into the Indian team. I am pretty sure everyone is in great form with UTT having given us so many matches going into the Commonwealth Championships. It will be good preparation for the Asian Games.”Leading a young sideThe Indian squad itself is entering a new phase. With Sharath Kamal’s retirement, Sathiyan and Harmeet Desai have inherited the responsibility of leading a relatively young side. It is a role the 33-year-old has embraced, particularly alongside someone he has known for nearly a quarter of a century.“I am really happy that I still have one more senior in the team. Otherwise, everyone is almost seven or eight years younger than me,” Sathiyan said, laughing.“But yes, we learnt a lot from Sharath anna when he was in the team. Harmeet and I have played together since our sub-junior days. We have known each other for 20-25 years, so the chemistry between us is really good. The understanding is really nice. At the same time, having the youngsters come in is also exciting. It’s a nice mix of experience and energy.”For now, though, Sathiyan’s immediate task remains guiding Delhi through the final week of UTT. Monday’s tie was a must-win for the two-time finalists. If Delhi completes the job and reaches the semifinals on Thursday night, don’t be surprised if the now-familiar “Suiii” echoes even louder around the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium.