Star Indian paddler Gnanasekaran Sathiyan has given a thumbs-up to the way the 36th National Games is being held and have lauded the efforts of Gujarat Government in organizing the multi-discipline world sporting spectacle at a world class level.
In an exclusive chat with India News Gujarat, the country’s highest ranked table tennis player said, “I am very happy to be here in Surat for the National Games. The way the event is being organized is at par with international events and I am delighted that I could be a part of this event.”
The table tennis competition of the Games has been preponed and is being held in Surat ahead of the official opening ceremony on September 29th due to players’ international commitment.
Speaking on the infrastructure for the table tennis event and the event as a whole, Sathiyan said, “I have played here before and won medals as well. The 2015 Commonwealth Championships were held here and to be honest this is a world class venue. They should make this venue exclusive for table tennis events in the country. It is great that we are able to play in such a great and fantastic arena. Everyone will definitely enjoy playing here and I hope all the top players play to the best of their abilities here.”
Gujarat as a state is famous for its hospitality and Sathiyan wants to use this opportunity of playing in Surat to explore the famous places in Surat as well as dig into the savories that Gujarat is famous for.
“Obviously I have heard a lot about Gujarat and Surat in particular from my teammate (Harmeet Desai) who is from here. Gujarati food is famous all over the country and it is a really great opportunity for me to try out the dishes here. So, obviously since we are here for the event, hopefully I would get to visit famous places and try out different food on offer here in Surat,” the 2022 Commonwealth Games men’s team gold medalist said.
India has definitely become a force to reckon with on the global stage and Sathiyan feels that a lot of credit for it goes to the Government of India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s active involvement in the sports sector.
“The kind of support that we get from the government is outstanding and it has changed our outlook towards the government. We have been getting a lot of support from the government and have helped us a lot in winning international medals for India. Even our Prime Minister Narendra Modi speaks to athletes individually and is always ready to support us which is a huge motivating factor for all the athletes of the country. And I am sure if the support continues, we will very soon start doing well at the Olympics as well,” he concluded.
