G Sathiyan does a 2019 flashback, says year taught him that one goal can be achieved in many ways

He has virtually qualified for the 2020 Games and is hoping to do well.

By Maleeva Rebello, ET Bureau | Dec 18, 2019, 03.32 PM IST

G Sathiyan said that playing the top 10 players in 2019 has really helped him grow.

The No1 Indian table tennis player shares his learning from the year 2019 as he gets set for Japan in 2020.

At a Mumbai hotel over the weekend, Indian No 1 table tennis star, G Sathiyan was every inch the boy next door dressed in a white t-shirt and jeans. The 26-year-old told ET Panache that playing the top 10 players in 2019 has really helped him grow.

"In this year, I learnt that one goal can be done through a lot of other ways. The goal has to be constant but you can try out different ways. There have been new techniques that I have explored to get to the top and I have become more open minded. I now look for other ways to get out of a tricky situation," he said.

With the Olympics in the New Year, the Indian No1 paddler is ready to hold the bull by its horns. He has virtually qualified for the Games and is hoping to do well.

"Belief has improved for me in the last four months. I have played a lot of top 10 players, I think eight or nine of them. I feel I just need 11 points and it is possible to pull off an upset," he signed off saying.

Game, Set, Split: Naomi Osaka And Other Tennis Aces Who Parted Ways From Their Coaches

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The coming together of Djokovic (R) and Becker (L) as player and coach caught the world’s imagination in 2013. The Serbian star went on to win six Grand Slams under Becker and held all four major titles. However, three years later, the pair parted ways and it was clear that Becker wasn’t too happy. Speaking about Djokovic, he said, “He didn’t spend as much time on the practice court in the last six months as he should have, and he knows that.”