One of the most exciting young talents, Chennai paddler S. Selena is eager to make a mark representing Maharashtra United in the Ultimate Table Tennis. Selena was United’s second pick in Round 7 at the draft.
Selena had made headlines when she completed a golden sweep in the Egypt Junior and Cadet Table Tennis Open last year winning the team event, junior girls’ singles and doubles titles at Sharm El Sheikh. “This is my second season and I’m hoping to get more chances to prove myself,” said Selena, who is currently India’s top ranked youth player.
Before the season started, United coach N. Ravichandran said he was optimistic that his team would better their performance. “We are a balanced side with the right blend of youth and experience. I am confident that we will excel with this team we have,” said Ravichandran.
In the draft, apart from Selena United picked Anthony Amalraj and brought back Portuguese Joao Monteiro for second season. They also picked Sweden’s No. 1 Kristian Karlsson as their first draft followed by three-time European champion and Romania No. 1 Elizabeta Samara as their first foreign female player. The Maharashtra-based table tennis team then roped in local girl Madhurika Patkar, who came back from CWG with a gold medal.
With Indian table tennis becoming talk of the town after the recently concluded Commonwealth Games in Gold Coast, Ravichandran said the performance put up by Indian paddlers was unprecedented. “2018 CWG performance with remain India’s best for years to come. This should serve as a trend-setter and inspire more young kids to be serious about the sport,” noted Ravichandran.
The Indian coach felt UTT is a great platform for Indian talents will help them to raise their confidence level that shows in their performance at international competitions. “The format is so unique that every match rather every set and every point matters here. You have to give your cent percent here,” pointed Ravichandran.
“This is like any other premier international event. There will be expectations and I am hopeful that my contribution to the team will be remembered by the team’s performance,” said Ravichandran.
