Coach Kunal Kumar sets sight on Los Angeles Olympics; promises to deliver India's next medal hope

By Asianet Newsable English | First Published Oct 21, 2021, 11:32 AM IST

Coach Kunal Kumar's innovative style of modern coaching, personal training and physical fitness has helped him achieve international fame and produced players that have competed at the national and international level.

India's performance in table tennis at the Tokyo Olympics and Paralympics has once again brought the focus back onto the sport. The need to spot young talent and chisel them into world-class players has become the need of the hour.

Kunal Kumar, who runs the Progressive Table Tennis Academy in Gurgaon, Haryana, is working on one such endeavour.

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Himself a national and international Table Tennis coach with experience of over 12 years, Kunal's innovative style of modern coaching, personal training and physical fitness has helped him achieve international fame and produced players that have competed at the national and international level.

The table tennis academy, spread over 6000 square feet, is among the biggest in the country. The facility boasts ample space that can accommodate over ten tables.

This weekend, the Progressive Table Tennis Academy organised a tournament under the aegis of the Gurugram District Table Tennis Association. The competition saw participation from Under 11 to Under 19 age category players. Overall, 250 players took part in the event.

Started on September 1, 2018, the Progressive Table Tennis Academy today trains over 100 players.

The parents of the players spoke to Asianet Newsable with regard to the stellar role being played by the Progressive Table Tennis Academy.

"My son has a promising future. Kunal and the coaches at the Progressive Table Tennis Academy have been working tirelessly to ensure that the players do well. They have the best equipment and technological aids to assist the players to hone their skills. I am sure they would be able to deliver promising medal hopes for the country in the time to come," says Anil Garg, father of Krishiv Garg who won his category tournament.

Kunal and his support team of eight coaches have set their targets on the Los Angeles Olympics 2028. They are confident that they will be able to produce world-class players over the next few years.

Out of the 100-odd students training in the academy, at least five play for Haryana state. Kunal says his best bet at the moment is 13-year-old Sanjana Verma, who is among the top 4 players in Haryana.

Combining the use of technology to offer high-performance training, the Progressive Table Tennis Academy has what it takes to produce world-class athletes.

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