Lankan paddlers’ talent impresses Belarusian coach Yefremov
Aleksey Yefremov - Pic by Priyantha Wickramaarachchi
The Sri Lanka (SL) Table Tennis (TT) team has come under the wings of renowned Belarus coach Aleksey Yefremov, to prepare for the forthcoming South Asian Games to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, in December.
As an important step by the SLTT Interim Committee, this highly respected coach’s enrollment was facilitated by the Asian TT Union, under its ‘Aim for the Stars’ programme, in collaboration with the National Olympic Committee of Sri Lanka.
Yefremov, speaking to the Sunday Times, said he was involved in coaching in some Asian countries and he recognised Sri Lanka has highly talented players, who needed more guidance from foreign coaches and foreign exposure.
He went on to say that Sri Lanka has a very good chance in the Mixed Doubles at the SAG, with the potential to do well in the other events as well. As for its standard, Sri Lanka is on par with India and Malaysia.
It is very important for the Lankans to have training camps for at least 3 months, with the services of a permanent foreign coach to shape the players to face international competition. He noticed that the Lankan Paddlers’ foot movements are of a high standard which is important for a Paddler.
He commented on the inclusion of three school players in the side. He said this is a good move for the future of the game in Sri Lanka. Watching the 3 youngsters in action, the Belarus coach said he is very impressed with their talent and regrets not visiting outstations to see other youngsters in action. SLTT should select the best young talented players and send them for overseas training. When they get experience in foreign training, he is sure that they will give better results.
According to what he has heard, Lankan Paddlers tend to drop out from the game between 17 years and 19 years, to concentrate on their studies. This is also vital and they should be able to balance their time he said. To overcome this problem, a pool should be selected and put in training camps according to age groups. If possible, they should be sent to Europe, to play in various international leagues.
Touching on the finer points, the coach said they need more endurance power and mental strength to be able to come out strong in the final points of a match. They should be much stronger at this point and be good in the technical aspects.
Yefremov further said, “What I noticed on my first day of training was that the, Lankan Paddlers don’t need any motivation. Every member of the team, Men and Women, realise the task ahead of them, and know what is expected of them, which is a very good sign. They only need more practice.”
“Team practices of 5-6 hours a day at a stretch, is too long. They must practice in short spells. Two hours of hard practice in the morning and another two hours in the evening. They must save their energy for the big event and must take care of their physical condition and, if necessary, I am ready to help them in motivation,” said the coach.
He added “The team knows I give them 100% and I am sure they too will give me 100%, as they are an enthusiastic bunch of players who follow exactly what I instruct and put into practice.”
Talking of the facilities available, the Belarus coach said everything is perfect. As a
visitor, he is also afforded the same attention as the team. SLTT ensures the team gets the best facilities. He also paid a big tribute to Chandana Perera, for his excellent coordination with the team.
In conclusion, he advised the Paddlers to continue with their hard work of training for
short hours.
“Plan a game and have a good understanding of what you do.”