Bhubaneswar, Oct 10 (IANS) Ahead of the ITTF-ATTU Asian Table Tennis Team Championships 2025, Indian team head coach Massimo Constantini expressed confidence in the team preparations saying with the renewed young sqaud he is expecting a strong performance.

“We are coming from a very important tournament and a good training camp in China over the last month. The players are well-prepared, and now we have to deploy our strategies once we know our opponents. Finishing fourth last year and winning bronze gives us a direct entry into the quarterfinals, so making a medal will depend on one crucial match,” Constantini said.

He added, “Our opponents like Japan, Korea, and Hong Kong are traditionally strong, but India is steadily gaining ground in Asia. If we perform well here, it reflects our potential to do well globally — even in the Olympics. With a renewed young squad, I expect a strong performance.”

Praising the event’s organisation and Odisha’s sports development, Constantini remarked, “I already said in the press conference that Odisha is investing a lot in sports, which I warmly welcome. Investing in sports means investing in the future. We cannot expect results without proper infrastructure and training facilities. Odisha has created an ideal environment for sports to thrive – I would call it a ‘citadel of sports.’ I’m honored and happy to be here and hope the Indian team responds with its best performance.”

The Asian Table Tennis Team Championships will be staged in Bhubaneswar from October 11 to 15. The event will also serve as a qualifier for the 2026 ITTF World Team Championships, with the top 13 teams from each category earning spots.

This is the first time Odisha is hosting a table tennis event at the Asian level, although the state previously hosted the 2019 Commonwealth Table Tennis Championships. Bhubaneswar, having hosted several major sporting events in recent years, is also recognised as India’s sports capital.

–IANS

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