Mumbai: Massimo Costantini has obtained a number of interview requests by Chinese language media over the previous few months. The road of questioning, defined the pinnacle coach of Indian desk tennis, all revolves across the identical factor: the fixed use of the lengthy pimple rubber by Indian girls.
Manika Batra has been utilizing the long-pimpled rubber for a variety of years. (Getty Photos)
“They are very interested in India’s development,” he advised HT, on the sidelines of the lately concluded 86th Senior Nationwide Championships in Surat.
Over the previous few years, whereas Chinese language paddlers have stomped their method via competitions with little fuss, they’ve been overwhelmed again and again by the Indian girls who use the peculiar rubber on the backhand aspect of their bats.
The World Staff Championships final yr was significantly alarming for China, with Ayhika Mukherjee beating then world No.1 Solar Yingsha and Sreeja Akula getting the higher of world No.2 Wang Yidi.
“That was a big hit for China. Everyone there keeps talking about that,” says Costantini.
The rubber deceives by placing the alternative spinning impact on the ball. For instance, if the opponent hits it with prime spin, then whatever the shot the participant utilizing the lengthy pimple rubber employs, it’s returned with backspin, and vice-versa.
Crucially for the Indians, China has began researching on the pimples. They’ve began bringing in sparring companions who use the actual rubber with the intention to work on methods to counter it. The novelty might put on off, however Costantini asserts that there’s nonetheless scope of utilizing the rubber as a weapon.
“Right now, it is used in a very passive way,” he says. “There are so many women players who adopt this rubber from an early age, but they don’t develop the game. They need to work on more variations – different speeds, heights, lengths, placements…”
Star Indian participant Achanta Sharath Kamal echoes the opinion.
“This is a defensive rubber, but the mentality cannot be defensive,” he stated. “When kids use the rubber, you get points off the opponents’ mistakes. But as you get older, the opponent is fitter, has better footwork and more understanding. You have to be more attack-minded. That’s where Manika (Batra) and Sreeja (Akula) are different. They play aggressive with those rubbers.”
Via Batra, India bought its first actual style of success with the lengthy pimple rubber when she upset then world No.4 Feng Tianwei of Singapore to win gold on the 2018 Commonwealth Video games. Final yr Batra additionally beat world No.2 Wang Manyu at a World Desk Tennis occasion in Saudi Arabia.
Batra nonetheless, was not the primary outstanding Indian to make use of the rubber nicely. That was Neha Aggarwal Sharma, who competed on the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
“I started using the rubber when I was seven,” recalled Neha , who was launched to the rubber by her coach Sandeep Gupta. “Nobody in India used it at the time, so I used to feel odd because my playing style was different. There was no playbook, no role model.”
Neha grew to become that function mannequin. And by the point Batra began her journey within the sport below Gupta’s tutelage, there was extra data concerning the rubber and the way it could possibly be used to her benefit.
Batra’s success on the tour prompted extra gamers to begin utilizing the rubber.
“When kids start in the game, their backhand side is weaker, hence coaches recommend the use of long pimples,” says Akula, who final yr grew to become the highest-ever ranked Indian singles participant when she reached the world No.21 mark.
“At the international level where opponents are aggressive, using such a rubber is difficult. Now we are finding more variations, but we need to be more consistent with it and learn more about it.”
The analysis continues, however there’s a hazard of getting stagnant. As overseas opponents begin to research the character of the lengthy pimples and tips on how to sort out it, the necessity to enhance on backhand aspect is simply as essential.
“Eventually,” Akula provides, “you have to develop a strong backhand. You have to have an overall game and not just depend on the rubber.”
And with the slowing nature of the ball and the desk in comparison with a long time earlier, Aggarwal says, the spin imparted on the ball is far lower than what was doable earlier than.
“The subtleties are reducing and rallies are getting longer. Longer rallies are a problem for long pimples,” Aggarwal provides.
Arup Basak, the previous nationwide champion and India head coach, is of the opinion that the novelty of the rubber is quickly sporting out.
“It’s effective for the players now, but I feel it’s not going to work well in 10-15 years,” he says. “The rubber has a fixed character. The players are bringing more variations, but the rubber itself has its limitations.”
The Chinese language have now taken lively measures to find these limitations.
The rubber was extensively utilized by the Chinese language within the Eighties and Nineteen Nineties. Deng Yaping, thought-about one of many biggest gamers the game has seen, gained 9 World Championships gold medals and 4 Olympic Golds – in singles and doubles at Barcelona 1992 and Atlanta 1996 – whereas utilizing the lengthy pimples.
Now 51, Deng was roped in by the Chinese language federation to organise a coaching camp for the present gamers forward of the 2024 Paris Olympics. It was a measure taken conserving in thoughts the rising risk of the lengthy pimples, and the band of Indian gamers utilizing it to nice impact.