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Rising table tennis player Mudit Dani smiles in his latest Instagram photos. He has just graduated from New York University and his eyes are steadily on both the researchers and table tennis. We caught Mudit on the sport and his dream of an Olympic medal.
Congratulations Mudit! How did you spend graduating?
Thank you for your wishes! The meeting took place in practice, and I watched it happen with a couple of my friends from college. We even went to Washington Square and clicked on some pictures. Each parent was also part of the event watching FaceTime. So, it was a little different than usual, but it was fun for sure.
What are you studying at New York University?
I studied for a bachelor’s degree in business administration at New York University and am now pursuing a master’s degree in quantitative management, which is finance and statistics. I am taking a two-year STERN Business School course starting in September.
How was your internship time while at NYU?
I strategize and schedule my day to spend most of my time effectively. If I take morning classes today, I would do evening sessions for the next day, which would give me almost days of time to work out and train between and at the same time work on my assignments as well. I use the weekends to travel and play tournaments in the United States.
What are regular practice classes like?
So, it was a lot of design, but it worked pretty well I would say. I got to train for at least about three and three and a half hours a day. Yes, it was not a Full-Time Professional in terms of hours, but the training was intensive and focused on things that needed to be developed. I started taking my courses online from the second year and moved to Europe to train full time. At that point, I studied at night and in the morning, practiced for about two and a half hours and again in the evening for two hours and would also do about 45 minutes of exercise. So that was my whole intense schedule.
What attracted you to table tennis?
I would say different tactics and game speed. I have fun talking to other people, there are challenges at different levels, including players vs. older players, younger players, left-handed, right-handed and it’s like strikers and defenders … so for me it was really interesting. I felt like I could also challenge my mind in the same way to find solutions for specific players and identify their weaknesses. These factors attracted me as a young child.
When did you play your first tournament?
My first tournament was eight years old. I played an inter-school event just for fun and lost.
Can you take us through the milestones and biggest gains of your career?
I was the first Mumbai table tennis player to win a gold medal at the Cadet Boys Individual at the International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) Junior Circuit in El Salvador. I won one gold in the cadets team event and three bronzes: 2 in the cadets ’singles and doubles and one in the junior classes. It was a proud moment for me because I am the only third Indian player to break into the top ten in the ITTF World Junior Boys ranking after Soumyajit Ghoshi and Harmeet Desai.
I secured my first ever International Tennis Tennis Federation (ITTF) medal after reaching the U.S. Open Championship men’s singles semi-finals at Fort Worth Convention Center in Texas, which I received in 2019 and am currently the sixth to highest Indian paddler.
Who or what has made a significant contribution to your player career?
It is impossible for me to distinguish certain people. Throughout the journey, I have received support from my school and college, and certainly from my coaches and trainers, who helped me constantly. My family and friends also supported me to follow my passion. I would say it is basically a huge team effort because I would not have been able to do it without their cooperation.
Tell us about your training with Kamlesh Mehta …
He has been like a father to me, and I have the privilege of being under his leadership. His experience and expertise are beyond bounds, and everything he taught me has made me a player and the person I am today. I am grateful to him for everything he does for me and all the other players in the Indian table tennis team.
How much has the international success of Achanta Sharath Kamals increased your morale to take up a table tennis career?
I was 11 years old when I first met Sharath at the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games and asked him to share the frame with me. And forward 10 years now that I can talk to him anytime, play cards together, work out together and go to tournaments together. It has been a perfect journey and a dream for me. Every one of my life around me has definitely grown up watching him change the way Indian table tennis looks on the world map and I respect him very well. I am honored to learn from him and play next to him during world tours. It is a motivation to get him close, and I hope he will see India for years to come.
Will Mumbai continue to be a base?
I believe so. With travel restrictions, it would be ideal for me to continue my education in Mumbai.
Your ultimate dream is to be part of the Olympics …
Yes, it is definitely my dream. There is a great sense of pride that an athlete experiences when representing a country at such multi-sport events. However, my immediate goal is to get to the 2022 Commonwealth Games to be held in Birmingham, England.
What are your other passions?
That would be sports and music. I can literally watch and enjoy all kinds of sports like cricket football, basketball, baseball, volleyball, swimming. I even love to call them because I want to be active. And music is something that calms me down and is my partner on my travels. I am also a foodie, although I will definitely have to keep some restrictions.
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