‘ Little Fatty’ comes of age in China’s TT domination

From art collector to IITian, India’s performers at the Asian Games come from a diverse background

Jakarta, Sept. 1: Table tennis world number one Fan Zhendong said he felt he had come of age as he clinched his first Asian Games singles title to seal a clean sweep for China on Saturday.

Fan, nicknamed “Little Fatty” owing to his build, pumped his fist in jubilation as he beat Chinese team- mate Lin Gaoyuan 11- 8, 11- 5, 15- 17, 4- 11, 11- 8, 11- 6 in Jakarta. Fan, who won silver at the last Asian Games in Incheon, said it was a “coming of age” gold medal — his first in singles at a major multi- sport event, and two years before the Tokyo Olympics.

“The chance of playing a multi- sport event is rare for us because it happens only every four years, just like the Olympics,” Fan, 21, said.

“I think it’s important to experience the feeling of playing such an event and being able to withstand the pressure to win is an important take away for me,” he said.

The women’s final was Jakarta, Sept. 1: The life story of Indian athletes is usually full of hardships but not this time. The country’s medallists at the Asian Games are a diversified lot, ranging from a jobless gold winner, an IIT alumnus and a champion athlete who was born with 12 toes.

Swapna Barman’s is easily one of the most fascinating stories to have come out of the continental mega event. India’s first heptathlete to win an Asiad gold, 12toed Barman now hopes ‘ they’ will make special shoes for her. Daughter of a rickshaw puller, the Jalpaiguri woman also has a sweet tooth.

Another track and field star who has made India proud is Manjit Singh, who won the country’s first 800m gold since 1982. Sadly, he doesn’t have a permanent job and his state, Haryana, too has not done much to support him financially.

Twe n t y - y e a r - o l d Dharun Ayyasamy, who won a silver in 400m hurdles, too wants a job. Not for him but for his mother who raised him with a meagre teaching salary after the untimely death of his father.

The likes of Barman, Manjit and Ayyasamy came here to make it big. But there are some in the 600- odd Indian contingent who had already made their name. They came here to conquer a new territory. Members of the bronze- winning bridge squad Ajay Tolani, Kiran Nadar, Bachiraju Satyanarayana and Hema Deora are eminent personalities.

Tolani is India head of a Switzerland- based steel company while Kiran, wife of HCL founder, is an art collector who has paid a fortune to possess some 5,000 paintings for her museum. Then there is Satyanarayana, an IIT Delhi alumni and Hema, wife of late union minister Murli Deora. The mixed team also includes the husbandwife pairing of Himani and Rajeev Khandelwal, both industrialists.

Bridge made its Games debut in Jakarta and so did Kurash, a form of martial arts popular in central Asia.

But unlike members of the card game, silver and bronze winning Pincky Balhara and also gripping with Wang Manyu edging out former world number one Chen Meng to win her first major title.

Wang, 19, fought back from three- sets- to- one down to win 11- 7, 5- 11, 1416, 7- 11, 11- 6, 11- 8, 11- 8 in a marathon one hour and 18 minutes.

“I’m happy with winning the title, it’s certainly

Malapradha Jadhav have a humble background. As Kurash is not a recognised sport in India, the athletes even had to pay for their kits. A few had the money to buy the team gear but teenager Balhara did not.

Her village, Neb Sarai in Delhi, raised close to ` 200,000 for her 20- day training in Uzbekistan. She repaid the faith with a silver in the 52kg category. The fact that she also overcame the sudden loss of her 42year- old father made the effort even more special.

A couple of medals came from compound archery. The seasoned Rajat Chauhan was instrumental in taking the men’s team to the final. Like many Indian athletes, he is out of a job despite winning a gold at Incheon four years ago. But more than the job and securing a silver here, it was important for him to clear his class 12 exams in what was his fifth attempt. He did that in March and heaved a huge sigh of relief with a second division score.

The rowers too, made the country proud by winning a gold and couple of bronze medals. Bhagwan Singh, son of a truck driver and journalism dropout, experienced a confidence boost for me,” said Wang, who produced her full array of attacking shots to subdue her team- mate.

“It’s not an easy journey for me, and I would never have achieved what I have achieved today without my parents. They have done a lot for me, and I think this is a good way to repay them.”

China had also pocketed the men’s and women’s team gold while Wang Shuqin and Sun Yingsha clinched the mixed doubles title as they went home with all five gold medals. China have been the dominant force in table tennis since the sport was introduced in the Asian Games since Tokyo 1958, winning a medal at every edition.

In the men’s singles, China have locked up gold and silver at every Games since 2006, and since 2010 in the women’s. The Olympic figures are even more mind- boggling with China winning all but four of the 32 gold medals since the sport was introduced in 1988.

the biggest high of his left after finishing third in lightweight double sculls alongside Rohit Kumar.

At the shooting ranges in Palembang, Gurukul follower Deepak Kumar got his big breakthrough with a silver in the 10m air rifle final. The Air Force man owed his achievement to the values Gurukul has taught him ever since he shifted there from Delhi, detaching himself from the rest of the world.

Former Navy officer Sanjeev Rajput too, held on to a silver in the 50m rifle 3 positions, winning another medal at the international level despite not having a permanent job. He was sacked from Sports of Authority of India last year and is out of work since then.