Manika’s coach Chris Pfeiffer frontrunner to be India’s head coach

Kamlesh Mehta.
| Photo Credit: Stan Rayan

Chris Adrian Pfeiffer, Manika Batra’s personal coach from Germany, is the frontrunner to take over as India’s chief national coach in table tennis.

“It is yet to be approved but he is one name that we have shortlisted,” Kamlesh Mehta, the secretary of the Table Tennis Federation of India (TTFI), told The Hindu on the sidelines of the Sub-junior Nationals at the Alappuzha YMCA on Tuesday.

The TTFI is likely to finalise its new chief National coach at its AGM in Jammu next month.

S. Raman, who had been appointed as the country’s head coach last July by the Committee of Administrators, had resigned from the post recently.

With Sharath Kamal, who won the Commonwealth Games men’s singles gold in Birmingham last year, crossing 40, India should be quickly looking at youngsters who can take over from top stars like Sharath.

“It will take some time. Sharath has been playing for India for 20 years. So for anybody to take over from Sharath, or go somewhere near him, it is going to take time,” said Kamlesh, a former international and one of the country’s biggest stars in the sport.

“But I can say confidently that we have a very good crop of players who are doing well at every age category. That means that there is a flow, there is a line, so there is hope. And if you see the world rankings list, there are so many (Indians) in every category.”

He feels Manika Batra’s performances in the last few years will make the Indian girls think big too.

“Manika’s performances will give the belief to others that they can also do it. And that’s one of the major breakthroughs I would say,” said the former multiple national champion.

“There are now three to four women in the top 100…it has never been like that. Many of them are young, that’s also a good thing.”