Neha hits top gear

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Neha Aggarwal

Poor form and fitness may have cost her a place in the national squad in the last two years, but a rejuvenated Neha Aggarwal says she is slowing getting her rhythm back. The 23-year-old’s performances at the ongoing Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships strongly suggest a return to form.

Neha, whose performance was the highlight in the quarter-final league stage at the Thyagaraj Stadium here on Monday, shocked world no. 91 from Singapore, Zhou Yihan, in India’s only win against the top seeds as the hosts lost 1-3.
Neha said a performance like this would boost her confidence.
“I am really happy with the way I played. I was actually waiting for a win like this for long. It was a motivational booster. I hope I can continue the momentum in the upcoming tournaments,” said the former junior national champion.
The Delhi girl also said that her fortunes had started to change ever since she shifted to the long-pimpled rubber (which helps to block spin) in December last year. Neha reached the semi-finals of the senior national championships earlier this year.
“I think Zhou wasn’t comfortable with my anti (a technique to block spin). She was not able to read my game and my service also fell well,” said the 23-year-old of her surprising win over the Singaporean here.
Neha, ranked 230 in the world, was also part of national squad that underwent a 21-day training stint in China ahead of the championships. “That also helped me get back to shape. I am much fitter now.”
In 2008, the Delhi paddler made a strong statement of her rising stature as she made the cut for the Beijing Olympics ahead of veterans Poulomi Ghatak and Mouma Das, but failed to create a flutter thereafter.
A former sub-junior and junior national champion, Neha is yet to win her first senior’s national championship.
“2011 and the mid-half of last year was really bad for me. I was out of the national squad or kept in the reserves. An injury to my lower back added to my woes. But last year, I worked a lot with my coach on my fitness and also to keep more balls on the table,” she recalls.
“But the close loss to Poulomi in the semi-finals still hurts. She just stole the match from me. I won’t let it happen again,” concludes Neha, as she eyes an elusive senior national title.
National women’s coach Bhawani Mukherjee lavished praise on Neha, who has so far won all her matches at the championships.
“She was brilliant here. I didn’t expect her to play so well. She played above my expectation. She gave me the confidence that whenever she is in the team, I can rely on her.”